Your carotid arteries are the major blood vessels that deliver blood to your brain. One carotid artery is located on each side of your neck. When your doctor puts their hands on your neck to detect a pulse, they’re feeling one of your carotid arteries.

Carotid artery disease occurs when a blockage in one or both of these arteries decreases the amount of blood flow to your brain. This can lead to a stroke.

Early carotid artery disease rarely causes symptoms. Symptoms are only likely to appear once one of your carotid arteries has become fully blocked or nearly blocked. A carotid artery is usually considered nearly blocked when it’s more than 80 percent blocked.

At that point, you’re at high risk for a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or a stroke. A TIA is also known as a ministroke because it causes stroke symptoms that last from a few minutes to a few hours. These symptoms include:
__sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arms, or legs (usually on one side of the body)
__trouble speaking (garbled speech) or understanding
__sudden vision problems in one or both eyes
__dizziness
__sudden, severe headache
__drooping on one side of your face