In the beginning the doctor will ask your complaints, history of the disease, how it started, how long it lasts. After this survey is conducted. One method of diagnosing carotid artery - a hearing phonendoscope noise over them. Narrowing of blood vessels leads to turbulent flow in them and cause noise.
Thereafter shall be instrumental methods of diagnosis. The very first method in this series is a duplex ultrasound scan. This method allows the study to assess blood flow velocity in the carotid arteries, the presence of narrowing of their lumen in the form of plaques, blood clots.
If duplex ultrasound scan does not yield complete results, apply computerized tomography (CT) and CT angiography. In this method, an X-ray study, which is processed on the computer, the physician receives images of the brain as a "layers". The method allows us to see the head and neck arteries, presence of restriction, obstruction.
Magnetic resonance angiography - a method that allows you to see blood flow in vessels of the brain and neck, narrowing them. To do this using the radio in combination with the magnetic field.
Angiography - This method consists in the fact that the artery is entered and the contrast agent, a series of brain images. The method allows to detect narrowing of the arteries, the presence of plaques on their walls. However, this method is associated with low incidence of complications in the form of strokes. For this reason, doctors are not so often resort to this method.
