Carotid Disease  The carotid arteries in the neck carry blood from the heart to the brain. Carotid artery disease results from a build-up of plaque in the artery, a condition called atherosclerosis. This blockage can narrow the artery and restrict blood flow, increasing a person's risk of having a stroke. The blockage can worsen over time and eventually completely occlude the vessel which may result in a stroke. The plaque can also become unstable and a piece can break off, travel into a brain artery and into a smaller vessel. The blocked brain artery results in an area of the brain from getting adequate blood supply and oxygen resulting in a stroke.
Is my carotid artery clogged? Carotid artery disease typically causes no symptoms. Neck pain is more commonly related to muscle aches or neck arthritis. The first alert that you have a blocked carotid artery could be a stroke. However, some people do experience warning signs. These come in the form of transient ischemic attacks, or TIAs. During a TIA, you may experience a tingling, weakness, numbness or loss of control on one side of your body or face; loss of vision in one eye, like a curtain shade covering the eye; or a slurring of speech or inability to speak. These symptoms are temporary and usually disappear within an hour. Nevertheless, they should be reported to your doctor immediately. If these symptoms last more than a day, you may have had a stroke. To determine if the artery is clogged, a simple ultrasound study is performed. Our vascular labs, conveniently located at our two office locations, is very experienced in examining a wide variety of artery problems. Ultrasound gives highly reliable results so that we can offer the best treatment plan. The test is painless and uses a gel on the skin to allow imaging of the arteries and determine the severity of blockage. The test is covered by insurance. Visit these websites for more information about carotid disease:
 Aortic Aneurysms  An aneurysm is a bulge in the artery wall. Weakened by atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), smoking, hypertension, or other causes, the vessel walls balloon outward with the pressure of the blood flow inside. Typically patients don't know they have an aneurysm because they cause no symptoms. If an aneurysm ruptures, it can cause massive life-threatening internal bleeding. Other risks include thrombosis (clotting) of the aneurysm and embolism. This is when a piece of the inside of an aneurysm can break off, travel through the artery, lodge further downstream and cut off circulation to an area.
An aneurysm can be hereditary. If you have a family history you should be screened. Aneurysms can form in arteries throughout the body but most occur in the aorta. Starting in the heart and continuing through the chest and abdomen to the legs, the aorta is the body's largest blood vessel. If the aneurysm occurs in the lower section of the aorta, it is known as an abdominal aortic aneurysm. This is the most common type of aneurysm. If it occurs in the portion of the aorta in your chest, it is called a thoracic aortic aneurysm. Other locations where an aneurysm can develop are femoral (groin) artery, popliteal (knee level) artery on in a brain artery. Aneurysms may expand slowly or quickly or they may stay the same size for many years. They often develop without any warning signs. Sometimes, however, people experience symptoms from an abdominal aortic aneurysm. These can include:
- A pulsing sensation in the abdomen
- Stomach pain or tenderness
- Back pain
A burst aneurysm is a medical emergency. Signs of a ruptured aneurysm include:
- Sudden, intense pain in the abdomen
- Dizziness
- Sweating
- Low blood pressure
- Fast pulse
 If an aneurysm is discovered, it will be monitored closely with an ultrasound study or CT scan. Our office vascular labs are very experienced in examining a wide variety of aneurysms. Ultrasound gives highly reliable results so that we can offer the best treatment plan. The test is painless and uses a gel on the skin to allow imaging of the aneurysm to determine size. The test is covered by insurance.
Many aneurysms remain small and never rupture. Large, fast-growing, leaking or painful aneurysms may require surgery. Surgery is performed immediately on aneurysms that threaten imminent rupture or that have already ruptured, although the procedure is less successful once the vessel has burst. For more information on aortic aneurysms, visit:
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD)  Peripheral arteries carry blood in the body to the neck, arms, lower abdomen, legs and feet.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD), also known as peripheral vascular disease (PVD), is similar to coronary artery disease and carotid disease. It occurs when peripheral blood vessels are blocked, hardened and narrowed with plaque in a condition called atherosclerosis. This reduced or blocked blood supply may result in symptoms. The diagnosis of PAD increases a person's risk of having a heart or carotid disease. What are the symptoms? Signs that you may have peripheral vascular disease are:
- Leg pain that often occurs when exercising and ceases during rest (called claudication)
- Dull, cramping pain in the hips, thighs, calves or buttocks
- Numbness or tingling in the leg, foot or toes
- Weakness in the legs or arms
- Coldness, change of color or loss of hair in the legs or feet
- Open wounds, ulcers, sores or infections that fail to heal
- Abnormal color, weak or absent pulses in a limb
- Impotence
How is PAD/PVD diagnosed? A complete history and physical exam is performed where the pulses are palpated. If PAD is suspected a vascular study is ordered in our office vascular labs. An Arterial Doppler exam includes Doppler evaluation with multiple blood pressure cuffs placed on the legs and feet. An additional test type is arterial duplex(ultrasound) imaging and color flow exam of the blood vessels. Both tests are painless and are covered by insurance. For more information on PAD, visit: |
