Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List
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Symptoms of Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis will not produce symptoms until it severely narrows the artery and restricts blood flow, or until it causes a sudden obstruction.
Symptoms will depend on where the plaques and narrowing develop. This can be the heart, brain, other vital organs and legs or almost anywhere in the body.
The initial symptom may be pain or cramps when the body requires more oxygen, for example during exercise when a person may feel chest pain (angina) because of lack of oxygen to the heart or leg cramps because of lack of oxygen to the legs. Narrowing of the arteries supplying blood to the brain may cause dizziness or transient ischaemic attacks (TIA’s) (symptoms and signs of a stroke lasting less than 24 hours). Typically, these symptoms develop gradually.
If blood clots (thrombus) form in the arteries in the brain or neck due to the build up of plaque, this may result in a stroke. In the heart, it may result in heart failure or a heart attack (coronary thrombosis). In the kidneys it can lead to high blood pressure and renal failure. In the legs in severe cases it can lead to gangrene and possible amputation of the leg due to insignificant blood supply.
