What is carotid artery dissection?
Carotid artery dissection occurs when the carotid artery in the neck divides or tears.
Dissection can occur spontaneously or after a neck injury. This diagnosis can lead to serious complications such as stroke or bleeding in the brain.
The carotid artery is a blood vessel that supplies blood and oxygen to the brain, face, and neck. The carotid artery is an important part of the circulatory system.
Symptoms of carotid artery dissection include:
- Eye pain;
- Pain in the face, head, or neck;
- Decreased sweating;
- One pupil is relatively small;
- Drooping eyelid;
- Abnormal reflexes;
- Difficulty speaking;
- Loss of balance;
- Memory loss;
- Stroke-like symptoms.
In a large percentage of clinical cases, the cause of carotid artery dissection remains unknown. However, severe or mild trauma to the neck is a surefire factor in damaging the artery wall.
Causes of this condition include:
- Car accident;
- Neck twisting and turning;
- Sports-related events;
- Severe coughing or blowing your nose.
Risk factors include:
- Age (diagnosis is more common in people aged 40 to 60);
- Connective tissue disease;
- Family history of dissection;
- High blood pressure;
- Hyperhomocysteinemia;
- Neck trauma;
- Migraine headache;
- Tobacco.
The following types of complications are expected due to carotid dissection:
- The brain can no longer receive enough blood;
- Bleeding into the space that surrounds the brain;
- Pseudoaneurysm;
- Stroke;
- Transient ischemic attack.
Source:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22697-carotid-artery-dissection
