The brain is the “commander” of our body, and the carotid artery is the highway that supplies “food” to the brain. Carotid atherosclerosis is an arterial disease associated with dyslipidemia and changes in the composition of the vessel wall. The lesion is characterized by focal fibrous thickening of the intima caused by the deposition of lipids in the intima of arteries and the necrosis and disintegration of its deeper components to form atheromatous material and make its arteries harden and narrow. This is just like the highway from 8 lanes to 2 lanes, the original light and neat road piled with various obstacles, we can imagine that the speed of the car is getting slower and slower, and the food supply becomes a problem. Therefore, carotid atherosclerosis often leads to inadequate blood supply to the brain, dizziness, unclear vision and other manifestations, the most dangerous of which is the brain embolism caused by plaque detachment, blood can not enter the blocked cerebral vessels, the corresponding brain tissue will lack of oxygen, causing dysfunction. Carotid artery anatomy diagram Ultrasonography is the preferred detection method for carotid atherosclerosis and the most important non-invasive detection method, which can not only detect dangerous carotid plaques in time, but also detect the extent, thickness and nature of plaques, and distinguish hard plaques, soft plaques or mixed plaques (the latter two are more likely to fall off and cause cerebral infarction). It can also detect the degree of lumen stenosis, the extent and location of stenosis. The normal carotid artery wall is a three-layer structure, and if there are discontinuities in the intima, thickening in the middle layer of the intima and plaque, it is considered as carotid atherosclerosis. Generally speaking, mixed plaques and soft plaques are easy to be dislodged because they belong to lipid plaques, which are easily dislodged by the impact of blood flow when the blood flow is unstable. Ultrasonography can detect the surface ulceration or mucosal dissection of atheromatous plaque in time, which provides an important basis for clinical treatment. In addition to the three-layer structure of the carotid artery wall, ultrasound can monitor the hemodynamic changes in the arterial vasculature to determine the degree of stenosis: the flow rate in the stenosis is much higher than that in normal vessels. The resistance index of the internal carotid artery in a normal person is below 0.70; if it is higher than this number, it signals increased resistance of the intracranial capillaries. The nature of the blood flow and whether the direction of the blood flow is normal can also be determined based on changes in the blood flow spectrum. Ultrasound examination of carotid atherosclerosis In addition to color Doppler ultrasonography, new ultrasound techniques developed in recent years provide more information for the early detection and diagnosis of carotid atheroma. For example, microangiography with ultrasonography can detect the presence or absence of capillaries within atheromatous plaques. In some atheromatous plaques, there will be regeneration of microvessels, and these capillaries can promote the development of plaque, and even induce intra-plaque hemorrhage and plaque rupture. Adhere to good habits Carotid atherosclerosis and age, lifestyle habits have a great relationship, so we must control the mouth, open the legs, coupled with regular ultrasound vascular examination, to keep the highway light and smooth, so that our body “commander” to get sufficient nutrition, in order to work well.