With the passage of time, with age, especially in the 60s, physical fitness declines, and various problems follow, arterial plaque It is one of the high incidence problems in the middle-aged and elderly population.
Many people find carotid plaques during routine examinations and become anxious and afraid. In fact, carotid plaques are The incidence of elderly people is relatively high. A survey in my country found that the incidence of carotid plaque in people over 40 years old is 45%, and the incidence rate in people over 70 years old is as high as 84%.
Such a high incidence rate makes people have to pay attention to the prevention and treatment of carotid artery plates. We can Think of carotid plaque as an aging process.
01
What factors contribute to the formation of carotid plaque?
1. Hypertension: High-pressure blood flow impacts the arterial wall for a long time, causing mechanical damage to the arterial intima, causing blood lipids to be easily deposited on the arterial wall, thereby forming fatty plaques.
2. Hyperlipidemia: in the blood The lipid content is too high, and it is easy to deposit on the lining of blood vessels, thereby forming arterial plaque.
3. Diabetes: The fat metabolism disorder in diabetic patients, blood The protein that transports fat is denatured, and fat is easily deposited in the lining of blood vessels during transportation, thereby forming fatty plaques.
4. Smoking: nicotine in cigarettes , carbon monoxide and other harmful substances will continue to damage the inner wall of the artery, and the inner wall of the injured artery is too rough, causing the accumulation of cholesterol and platelets, forming fatty plaques.
At the same time, smoking can also cause arterial constriction, spasm, and accelerate the formation of plaque in blood vessels.
02
How dangerous is carotid plaque?
The carotid artery of the human body has a lot of lipids deposited on the blood vessel wall. This will cause the vascular cavity of the human body to become narrower, which may affect the brain tissue of the human body. Many people will have symptoms such as ischemia and hypoxia. We must pay great attention to the harm of this disease to the human body. is very large.
1. Cerebral ischemia< /p>
The presence of carotid plaques can lead to ischemia in the human brain. Many patients experience dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision, and drowsiness. Work efficiency drops.
We should pay special attention to drug treatment as soon as possible, otherwise the disease will continue to worsen in the later stage, which will cause brain Serious complications such as bleeding.
2. Ocular ischemia
< p data-track="18">Most patients with carotid plaques will experience decreased vision, blurred vision, and often find dark eyes, which will improve after a short rest , Some patients may even become blind, and everyone must go to the hospital for relevant examinations and treatment to prevent the disease from getting worse.
3, Stroke
Many patients found sensory disturbances in unilateral limbs, even hemiplegia, aphasia, affected cranial nerves, and even coma.
Everyone must be highly vigilant in peacetime. Patients with serious illness need to stay in bed for a long time and lose their ability to take care of themselves.
03
If carotid plaque is found, it is not far from cerebral infarction?
Carotid plaque is a matter of great concern to many people, many with carotid plaque Friends of the block are relatively nervous, and often ask “will carotid plaque fall off?”, “I heard that it will cause cerebral infarction”, … Let’s find out.
As you get older, blood vessels will also age. If you add high blood sugar, high blood lipids, and high blood pressure These three highs and eating and drinking will cause blood vessels to age faster, earlier, and more seriously, manifesting as hardening and long plaque blockage.
The carotid artery is one of the three places in the body that is most prone to plaque, which can be caused by a variety of reasons The inner wall of the carotid artery is damaged, and lipids and other substances in the blood enter the inner wall of the blood vessel, forming atherosclerotic plaques like dried millet porridge.
Affected by high-pressure blood flow, it will fall off “slag” or fall off to form a thrombus, which will follow When the blood circulates to the place where the diameter of the blood vessel is narrowed, the blood vessel will be blocked.
The carotid artery is very close to the brain, and the dislodged plaque is the main source of cerebral infarction emboli. The narrowed cerebral arteries are easily blocked by plaques and blood clots. Once blocked, the brain cells lose blood supply, and this part of the brain commands the body to lose its normal function, which may lead to hemiplegia, skewed corners of the mouth, difficulty swallowing, incontinence, etc. .
In my country, the incidence of cerebral infarction is five times that of myocardial infarction, and about 70% of Cerebral infarction is caused by carotid plaque, so it is very important to detect and take appropriate measures in time to prevent the occurrence of cerebral infarction.
In order to reduce the incidence of cerebral infarction and keep away from cerebral infarction, it is necessary to detect plaque on the carotid artery in time and treat it early It is recommended that middle-aged and elderly friends do 1 or 2 carotid arterial ultrasound examinations every year to prevent the occurrence of cerebral infarction.
Carotid ultrasonography can not only detect plaque on the carotid A series of parameters to understand the situation of the blood vessels in the whole body greatly improves the pertinence of the treatment, and also has a great guiding role for the formulation of the treatment plan.
04
Doctor: Do 3 things, plaque may get smaller
< span>First Thing: Exercise More
With Age The function of the human body is also gradually aging. If you do not exercise for a long time, the body’s resistance will decline. Therefore, it is recommended that middle-aged and elderly people choose suitable exercise methods on weekdays, such as walking or brisk walking, which can enhance cardiopulmonary function and promote blood circulation to a certain extent.
Not only that, but walking more can also prevent blood lipids from depositing in the blood vessel walls, thereby avoiding the formation of blood clots. However, the time of walking should also be controlled. It is recommended to keep it for more than 30 minutes each time. If the time is too short, the effect will not be achieved, and if the time is too long, it will also cause damage to the joints.
Thing 2: Active and reasonable control of blood pressure and blood sugar
Hypertension and diabetes are both important contributors to the formation of atherosclerotic plaqueswhite.
Patients with hypertension should keep their blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg if well tolerated , down to below 130/80 mmHg. Diabetics should control their blood sugar under the guidance of a doctor.
Thing Three: Stop Drinking
Regular drinking will not only stimulate blood vessels and cause various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, but also lead to elevated blood lipids in the human body, causing various disease risk.
Alcohol is often accompanied by an unhealthy diet. Under the two conditions, it often increases the amount of garbage in the blood, Blood vessels age faster.
Especially for people with “three highs”, they should quit drinking, so as to reduce cholesterol in the body and reduce the risk of suffering. risk of thrombosis.
05 extension – carotid artery screening is cerebral infarction screening?
I often hear patients say that carotid artery examination is equal to cerebral infarction screening, and that plaque in the carotid artery will cause When a stroke occurs, it is not normal to have a cerebral infarction.
Screening for cerebral infarction is a comprehensive process. In this process, the examination of cerebrovascular and carotid arteries is only part of it, and whether it has risk factors depends on whether it has risk factors:
- One category is behavioral factors
The first is Bad living habits: The biggest dangers are smoking, drinking, eating too much meat, too greasy;
The second is mental stress: including long-term mental stress, staying up late and insomnia;
The third It is the reduction of exercise: the reduction of exercise will lead to the reduction of basal metabolism and obesity; these are the three major dangers.
- One is a disease factor
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Including hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and of course dyslipidemia and others.
So even if there is no problem with the carotid artery screening, it does not mean that there will be no cerebral infarction.
On the other hand, even if there is carotid plaque, we should face it correctly and don’t be nervous, It doesn’t necessarily mean a stroke. We can prevent stroke from occurring or occur later by improving the behavioral factors and disease factors we mentioned earlier. #Aile Health Guide#