Carotid stenosis is a narrowing of the main neck pipes that feed blood to the brain. The plaque build-up acts like a partly closed faucet, so warning signs come and go long before a full blockage.

The first hint is a brief blackout called a TIA: one side of the face droops, an arm drifts, or words slur for minutes, then clear. Patients often say, “It was weird—then I was fine.”

Repeat TIAs follow the same script. The same arm goes weak, the same eye blurs, always on the side fed by the narrow artery.

Vision can flicker. A shade drops over one eye for seconds, or the outer half of both eyes grays out when you look toward the blocked side.

A low roar inside the head may appear at night. Lying flat lets you hear your own pulse in the ear on the narrowed side.

Later, mild memory slips creep in. You forget why you walked into a room or mix up names you’ve known for years.

If the artery tightens further, the TIA lasts longer, leaves weaker muscles, or steals speech for hours—time to treat, not watch.