One of the main causes of heart failure that deserves your closest attention is clogged arteries. Actually, blocked arteries can lead to serious problems if they prevent blood from reaching key parts of the body such as the brain or heart. But the symptoms of blocked arteries are always easy to spot until they cause a life-threatening issue such as heart failure.
At times, the only surefire way to know if you have clogged arteries is to undergo a screening test such as a carotid Doppler ultrasound. The essence of undergoing this screening test is to check for blockages that might put you at risk of a stroke.
You might already be wondering about what makes arteries to get clogged. Well, clogged arteries come to be because of a condition known as atherosclerosis, which happens when fatty material from the blood sticks to the inside of the arteries. Eventually, enough of this material builds up that it starts to affect the flow of blood.
The impact of this depends on the location of the blockage. Clogged arteries tend to most dangerous when they affect blood supplying the heart or brain considering these organs require continuous supply of oxygen to keep functioning effectively.
So, what are the signs of clogged arteries and can you use them to prevent heart failure? Surprisingly, there are no obvious symptoms of blocked arteries and so the problem is often missed. Of course, this is unless it causes a medical emergency such as a heart failure or stroke. But sometimes there can be warning signs that an artery blocked before it causes a serious event.
As a quick reminder, Angina occurs when there is a blockage in a blood vessel supplying the heart. It can lead to symptoms such as chest pain, breathlessness, heart palpitations, and sweating, which may be triggered by physical activity.
Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIA) or mini-strokes can also occur when there is a blockage affecting the brain. The common symptoms include temporary weakness on one side of your body, loss of vision in one eye, or slurred speech.
Angina can be a sign that you’re at risk of a heart attack while a TIA is a warning that you are at risk of a major stroke. That’s why it is important to take these symptoms serious and see a doctor before things get out of hand.