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How to check the status of the vessels of the head and neck.

Inadequate or impaired blood supply of the brain today is a very common problem. The modern pace of life, stress, massive psychological and physical burden on the work and study contribute to the fact that these violations are increasingly subject not only to the elderly and middle-aged, but also young people and children.

Disruption of blood vessels in the neck and brain is fraught with many consequences: headaches, and reduced efficiency of brain activity, as well as a variety of serious diseases — aneurysms, and hypertension to strokes and heart attacks. In order to prevent the possible consequences, you should periodically check the condition of the vessels of the head and neck. Of course, it is impossible to do alone, relying only on the presence of symptoms. Should trust examination specialist.

Following a few guidelines will help the right approach to this issue.

Who should check the condition of the vessels of the head and neck.

Primarily advised to undergo periodic examination of the neck vessels and brain the elderly, and people of all ages, exposed to emotional and physical stress, headaches.

Excess weight, poor diet, craze-Smoking, alcohol and other bad habits are also the reason for periodic testing.

There are also a number of indications for mandatory examination of brain vessels:

  • When symptoms of insufficient blood supply of the brain.

Symptoms may be sudden headaches, nausea and vomiting, loss of coordination, loss of memory and overall poor health.

  • When

For high blood and intracranial pressure increases the load on the walls of blood vessels, which can cause malnutrition of the brain, headaches and feeling bad.

Too low pressure also affects the blood vessels and heart. Hypotension the blood flow to the brain may be insufficient, which causes oxygen starvation of the brain cells.

  • What are the purposes of examination of the neck vessels and brain.

    Any kind of survey determines:

    1. The presence of a blockage or constriction of a vessel, their impact on nutrition and oxygen supply of brain cells, as well as the development of possible pathologies.
    2. The impact of existing diseaseon the blood flow.
    3. Identify disorders of the blood vessels of the head and neck in the early stages when no symptoms.
    4. Verification of the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment.
    5. Checked the tone of the vessel walls.
    6. The presence of an aneurysm, vasospasm, deformation.
    7. Detection of congenital defects of the structure of the vessels of the neck and brain.
    8. Detection of disorders in the venous blood flow.

    After ascertaining the necessary data, the doctor determines the cause disorders of the blood vessels of the head and neck, the effect discovered the disease on blood vessels in a given period of time and in the future. Atherosclerosis and aneurysm, as well as a number of other reasons can be a serious indication for surgery on the blood vessels.

    Methods of inspection of vessels of the head and neck.

    Timely diagnostics of a condition of vessels of the head and neck will help to detect abnormalities in blood flow to the brain and to identify the cause, determine the impact of lifestyle and other external factors on the blood vessels, to prevent the development of heart attack or stroke.

    How to check the status of the vessels of the head and neck? Today, there are many effective methods of diagnosis.

    Ultrasonic methods of research.

    1. Echoencephalography.

    Or, in simple terms, ultrasound of the brain. This method is based on the use of the oscilloscope, which records using the ultrasound state of the brain and displays it in a kind of schematic drawing. There is a standard schema, which must comply with the echoencephalogram of a healthy person. Abnormalities in blood vessels and brain break the usual pattern. The method allows to investigate not only the condition of the vessels of the head and neck, but also brain activity, condition and functionality of all parts of the brain. Thus, when echoencephalography study may identify not only the violation of the vessels of the head and neck, but also the possible consequences of those violations: loss of functionality, damage to individual parts of the brain.

    2. Doppler ultrasound, or Doppler ultrasound.

    The technique is based on the combination of classical ultrasound with Doppler method.

    This is the most popular method of research vessels of the head and neck because it allows to precisely determine many parameters of their operation, namely:

    • The speed of blood flow through the arteries and veins.
    • The presence of atherosclerotic formations in the blood vessels and the degree of narrowing of the lumen of the vessel.
    • To identify the arteries.
    • To detect changes in the direction of the blood flow caused by osteochondrosis orthe deformation of surrounding vessel tissue.
    • To identify an aneurysm of the brain.

    The method is absolutely safe and effective, however, not all medical facilities have special equipment for such research. Therefore, for the passage of Doppler ultrasound have to look for a specially equipped clinic.

    3. Duplex scanning of vessels of the head and neck.

    This method is based on the principle of Doppler coding and spectral analysis. Widely used for the study of disorders in the blood vessels.

    It can be used to color the visualization of the vessel lumen, to measure the speed of blood flow in it, as well as to determine:

    • Elasticity and toughness of the vessel wall.
    • The tonus of its walls.
    • The nature of the changes in the structure of the wall and its thickness.
    • Mechanical damage of the vessel wall.
    • The presence of atherosclerotic plaques and blood clots in the vessel, their echogenicity and size.
    • The size of the lumen of the vessel.
    • Deformation, curvature, branching vessels.

    4. Neurosonography.

    This ultrasonic method of research, which is ideal for newborns and children of early age. The study is conducted through the large Fontanelle that children of a certain age remains open. It allows you to determine the condition of the bones and soft tissues of the head and neck, brain matter, nerve tissue and blood vessels. With the help of neurosonography to identify disorders of the blood vessels, the presence of aneurysms, curvature, tumors, congenital abnormalities in their structure. The survey through the Fontanelle does not require any training and highly specialized equipment: it uses a standard ultrasound machine.

    Rarely, this applies to adults and requires special settings of the camera. The study is conducted through the temporal bone.

    Also used complex neurosonography, combining krasnoglinskoye and the temporal method for ultrasound. This approach allows to eliminate possible errors, to obtain the most accurate test results.

    5. Doppler.

    This method allows to obtain the most complete information about hemodynamics, function and fullness in blood vessels, and the speed of its flow.

    In transcranial Doppler ultrasonography applies the newest technology of digital research in M-mode, whereby the depth of the ultrasonic signal is increased to 9 cm. In this case the scanning occurs in layers at all levels. This provides the most detailed visualizationthe condition of the arteries and veins of the head and neck.

    Read more about Doppler ultrasound will tell the doctor:

    Electric measuring method.

    Electroencephalography.

    This procedure is carried out using a electroencephalograph, which registers electrical impulses of the brain. This method of research is focused on comprehensive diagnostics of the condition of the brain substance, the network of nerve fibers and circulatory systems of the head and neck, as well as to determine brain activity and degree of functionality.

    Indications for the procedure can be not only irregularities in the blood vessels of the head and neck, and bruises, brain injury, coma, sleep disorders and mental disorders. Wide possibilities of research electroencephalography allow not only to identify disorders of the blood vessels, but also to determine their influence on brain tissue.

    The EEG will show what areas of the brain and to what extent experiencing a shortage of blood supply or oxygen starvation, as well as their level of functioning.

    The procedure requires the prior preparation: you need to stop taking antispasmodics and anticonvulsant drugs, the head should be clean, the hair will have to untangle. The procedure lasts depending on readings from 15 minutes to several hours, and is absolutely safe for the body. Therefore, this study is suitable for people of any age, and even young children. But a relatively small price and the ability to fully diagnose a broad spectrum of diseases makes it popular among patients.

    All about electroencephalography:

    Magnetic resonance method.

    Magnetic resonance angiography.

    As standard tomography, this study is performed by exposure of radio waves to the object, which is placed in an artificially created magnetic field.

    Magnetic resonance

    X-ray methods.

    Contrast angiography.

    The method is based on the use of x-ray radiation, and involves the introduction into the human body a radio-opaque substance, through which are visible not only all the vessels, but also the structure of their walls.

    Angiography is divided into General – when checked the network vessels, and selective, when you do pictures of one or more veins and arteries to more detailed analysis.

    Selective angiography is particularly relevant when it is necessary to determine the degreethreats in the presence of atherosclerotic lesions or thrombi in the lumen of the vessels.

    As a radiopaque iodine-containing drug used substances, which are introduced by means of puncture or catheter.

    There are also arterial, venous and capillary angiography.

    This is a very effective method to obtain detailed images of even small vessels. However, x-ray irradiation has a negative effect on the human body. Therefore, contrast angiography may be contraindicated for some categories of patients.

    What research method to choose in order to check the condition of the vessels of the head and neck? It should be guided by three parameters: the advice of a doctor, the safety of the method and the budget that will be spent on treatment. Prescription in this matter is the determining factor.