It’s unlikely that you’d feel any noticeable symptoms should you develop carotid artery disease. The precursor to this condition, atherosclerosis, also gives few clues, if any, to the health consequences that could occur without treatment. Generally, a blocked carotid artery is not discovered until a person has had a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or a stroke.
Rather than wait for clues to the presence of a blocked carotid artery, it may be beneficial to know your risk factors. If you’ve been diagnosed with atherosclerosis, also known as narrowing or “hardening” of the arteries, you may want to talk to your doctor about a carotid artery screening. You may also want to talk to your doctor about screening if you have other risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, or smoking.