Carotid Artery Disease: Negrey-Jahnle Eye Associates

Carotid Artery Disease

The two carotid arteries are the main arteries in the neck that supply blood to the eyes and the brain. Blockages or conditions of the carotid artery can affect both the eyes and the brain. A lack of blood supply to the brain may result in a stroke, and the first signs of blockage of blood supply due to fat and calcium deposits may be seen in the eye during a routine eye exam. Plaque found during an eye exam may be an indication of blockage in the internal carotid artery, the ophthalmic artery (first main branch) or its branch (the central retinal artery).

What Happens When The Carotid Artery Is Blocked?
When the large or small branches of the carotid artery are blocked, the brain is deprived of blood and a stroke may result. Depending on the part of the brain involved and the size of the area deprived of its blood supply, the effects of a stroke may be slight or devastating. Severe effects can include paralysis of one side of the body and loss of speech. If the part of the brain having to do with vision is involved, a stroke can lead to loss of side vision.

When the ophthalmic artery or its branch (the central retinal artery) is blocked, a sudden, near-total loss of vision usually occurs. The mechanism of damage is the same in the brain and the eye. Cells die if they are deprived of blood for too long.

Is This Damage Permanent?
Not everyone who suffers a blocked blood supply to the eye or the brain has permanent damage. A temporary blockage of blood supply to the brain called a transient ischemic attack (TIA), may result in muscle weakness on one side of the face or numbness of an arm or leg which only lasts about an hour.
Temporary blockage of blood supply to the eye, called amaurosis fugax or fleeting blindness, can cause a temporary loss of vision in one eye. This sometimes appears like a curtain descending over all or part of your vision in that eye and may last for seconds or for several hours.
Both amaurosis fugax and transient ischemic attacks are possibe warnings of a serious problem involving the brain's blood supply. They should be reported to an ophthalmologist who may recommend further tests.