Clogged Artery Symptoms

Unhealthy eating habits have engulfed our lifestyle up to a large extent. Many of us are so busy in life that we cannot find time to eat healthy foods and perform exercises, for our own health benefits. Foods containing high cholesterol, saturated fats, high amounts of sugar, etc.

It  becomes an indispensable part of our life and there's hardly any day when we do not consume foods containing the above contents. It is quite obvious that, if consumed in excess quantities, all these could turn quite dangerous for us and can lead to many diseases and disorders. One such resultant disorder is clogging of arteries.

Clogged artery in medical terms is called as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is characterized by, narrowing and clogging of the arteries, which further leads to blocking of the blood flow. With insufficient blood flow, the heart becomes deprived of essential nutrients and oxygen, which are required for its smooth functioning.

The most important cause is the excess deposition of fats and cholesterol in the body. These substances can lead to narrowing and clogging of arteries. Many of us think that, cholesterol is the biggest contributing factor, however, experts have found out that, it is actually the deprivation of vitamin C that leads to this problem. 

Insufficient amounts of vitamin C leads to breakages and cracks in the arteries. These damages in the form of cracks can lead to internal bleeding. Therefore, as a protective measure, the body uses cholesterol, in order to patch the wounds and breakages.

Further, when this procedure continues for a long time, the cholesterol hardens and tends to settle in the arteries. This hardening of cholesterol in the arteries is thus termed as clogging. Although unhealthy eating is the most significant cause, many people suffer from this problem due to diseases such as, diabetes, high blood pressure, rheumatism, obesity, etc. In some people, too much of mental stress for a prolonged period of time, is also the causative factor for this problem.

A clogged artery not only affects the heart, but also has adverse effects on the blood flow and functioning of other parts of the body. Some of the commonly observed symptoms are:

Clogging of arteries in the neck can result in lack of blood supply to the brain. This can further lead to loss of vision (in either of the eyes), dizziness, blurred vision, difficulty in understanding and speaking, etc.

The most common symptoms of clogged artery in legs are, pain in the hips, calves, lower legs, cold feet, color changes in toe nails, numbness in the legs, etc. These conditions are caused mainly because of insufficient blood flow to the important parts of legs.

Symptoms are generally not noticed if there is clogging of arteries in the brain. However, according to relevant researches and studies, it is found that many people in the United States have encountered a stroke due to clogging of arteries in the brain.

Heart is the most vulnerable part towards clogging of arteries. This could have adverse effects on the entire body of the person. Some of the most common symptoms of clogging of arteries in the heart are, muscle cramps in heart muscles, numbness of feet and fingers and improper functioning of heart due to insufficient blood flow.

The condition of clogged arteries can occur anywhere in the body and affect its functioning to a large extent. It needs to be treated promptly, so that it does not lead to advanced complications. The treatment depends upon the underlying cause.

If unhealthy eating habits are the causative factor, then these habits need to be altered and the person needs to follow a balanced diet which will provide adequate amounts of essential nutrients to his body.

If any existing disease is the cause, then accordingly, treatment would be prescribed. In severe cases, most of the experts advice to undergo a surgery for treating this condition.