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- What is atherosclerosis?
- Symptoms of atherosclerosis
- Causes of atherosclerosis
- Prevention of atherosclerosis
- Risk factors for atherosclerosis
- Complications of atherosclerosis
- When to see a doctor about atherosclerosis
- Diagnosis of atherosclerosis
- Conventional treatment of atherosclerosis
- Alternative/complementary treatment of atherosclerosis
- Living with atherosclerosis
- Caring for someone with atherosclerosis
Sometimes atherosclerosis does not cause any symptoms at all until the condition has progressed to an advanced (and dangerous) stage, when the artery is blocked to about 40%.
In some cases, the only symptoms are heart attack and stroke, when the blockage completely obstructs blood flow, or when some of the blood clot breaks up and travels to the heart or brain.
In general, symptoms of atherosclerosis depend on which of the arteries are affected by the blockage.
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If the blockage occurs in the aorta (the heart's main artery) the major symptom is:
- Abdominal, neck, back, jaw, or shoulder, arm pain
- Chest pain (angina)
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Weakness or lethargy
If the blockage occurs in the arteries leading to the brain, the main symptoms are:
- Difficulty speaking
- Dizziness
- Droopy muscles on side of the face
- Loss of balance or coordination
- Slurred speech
- Sudden numbness or weakness in the arms or legs
- Sudden severe headache
- Sudden trouble walking
If the blockage occurs in the main arteries of the legs or arms, the main symptoms are:
- Hair loss
- Gangrene (an extreme and severe symptom)
- Pain, aching, numbness or fatigued feeling in the leg affected (intermittent claudation)
- Skin that is cold to the touch
- Thicker nails
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