The most important part of the human body is what?
The answers may be multifarious, but medically speaking, there will always be only two answers: heart and brain. In medicine, there are only two judgments about human death. If the heart stops beating, it will be declared dead. If the brain stops working, It is called brain death. The brain needs blood from the heart to provide nutrition for brain cells. The channel connecting these two most important organs, It is the carotid artery. Just as we can often feel our heartbeat, You can also feel the graceful and powerful rhythm of life by pressing your finger on the side of your neck. This is the result of the blood from the heart, which branches from the aorta and goes backwards along the left and right carotid arteries of the neck and enters the brain. So, if this bridge of life goes wrong, what will happen? Why can carotid artery stenosis cause dizziness? As we all know, coronary heart disease is one of the ultimate killers of human beings. The full name of the so-called coronary heart disease is [coronary atherosclerotic heart disease]. This term consists of three parts, [heart disease] everyone knows; [Coronary artery] is a blood vessel located on the heart, which supplies blood to the muscles of the heart itself. Atherosclerosis refers to the deposition of lipid in blood on the inner wall of blood vessels, Like millet gruel. And over time, It is getting thicker and thicker like the rust on the inside of the tap water pipe. Eventually, the blood vessels became narrower and narrower. The blood flow is getting less and less. What is more frightening is that, It may be washed off by blood flow, All kinds of small fragments enter the blood vessels of the brain, limbs or various organs in the body. Once these fragments block the key small blood vessels, Light is weak hands and feet, heavy is stroke cerebral infarction. This [atherosclerosis] occurs in coronary artery, is coronary heart disease, and occurs in carotid artery, is what we want to say today carotid artery stenosis. As an important passage for blood supply to the head, if carotid artery stenosis will how? Of course it is cerebral ischemia. And ischemia has various manifestations. The most common is dizziness and fatigue, In addition, There are also serious symptoms such as memory decline, cognitive ability decline, and even consciousness disorder and limb numbness. According to statistics, when blood vessel stenosis exceeds 70%, and the above symptoms occur, the probability of cerebral infarction (also commonly known as stroke) is as high as 10 ~ 15% every year. Therefore, when the elderly in your family have the above symptoms, please take him to the hospital for detailed examination! What tests are required? Because the current routine physical examination does not include the examination of carotid artery, So you usually have to go to the hospital for a separate examination. At present, Common checks are as follows: Carotid artery ultrasound, CT, various angiography (DSA, CTA, etc.). Among them, Carotid ultrasound is relatively cheap and has no damage to the body. It is often used as a screening method. DSA angiography is the most important [gold standard] for diagnosis because it can accurately show the condition of blood vessels. In addition, systemic conditions, such as blood pressure and blood lipid, are all very important auxiliary judgment indicators. How prevention is required in life? [Atherosclerosis] This phenomenon, It is often closely linked with hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes. In addition, Alcohol and tobacco are also important factors that cannot be ignored. Therefore, For the middle-aged and the elderly, The most important thing is to control the “three highs” from the source. At the same time try to quit smoking and drinking. On this basis, Also need to control diet, less oil and salt spicy, more light fruits and vegetables, at the same time increase exercise, keep a good figure, It is also commonly known as “shut up and keep your legs open”. It is very important to control the “three highs”. In addition to taking medicine on time and according to the amount, if conditions permit, you can buy a portable sphygmomanometer and blood glucose meter at home and monitor them daily. If prevention is not good, how dangerous is it? In the European Guidelines for the Treatment of Carotid Stenosis, there is a study that the incidence rate of carotid stenosis is about 1-2% for ordinary people over 60 years old. However, when he combined four conditions of coronary heart disease, hypertension, smoking and family genetic history of carotid stenosis, the incidence rate soared to 67%! Do you need surgical treatment? There are two main ways to treat carotid stenosis, One is carotid endarterectomy (CEA), Is to peel off the [millet gruel] from the artery wall, The other is carotid artery stent (CAS), Is to put a bracket in it, Stretch the narrow carotid artery, It can also achieve the goal of restoring normal blood flow. According to the 2011 American Society of Vascular Surgery’s Guidelines for the Treatment of Extracranial Carotid Artery Diseases, For asymptomatic patients with more than 60% carotid stenosis, And symptomatic patients with stenosis greater than 50%, Under the condition that the operation risk is not high, Carotid endarterectomy is recommended as the first choice. Carotid artery stent can be selected as the second choice. For patients with stenosis less than 50%, It is more likely to be treated with conservative drugs. But it must also be stated here that The treatment guidelines give only a general overview. The disease varies greatly from person to person. Still need to consult a doctor, To make the most appropriate treatment plan according to your personal situation. Today, The society is running at a high speed. The disease is also developing rapidly. Carotid artery stenosis is no longer limited to the elderly, More and more middle-aged and even young people have such symptoms. For doctors, 60% and 70% narrow, perhaps just a number, but for patients and their families, this is often the dividing line between life and death. What we have to do is to cherish the lives of ourselves and our relatives more, even if it is just dizziness, please don’t ignore it easily and go to the hospital for examination in time.