On Monday, you will face a pile of rubble. There is a narrow gap big enough to drive through.
On Tuesday, you’re walking down a tunnel and find a giant rock blocking the entire tunnel. There are no gaps.
Now translate these examples into your health. The sinuses are the arteries that carry blood to the heart. Debris and stones are blockages that can cause problems – manifested by symptoms.
Clogged tunnels aren’t good for traffic flow, and clogged arteries aren’t good for your heart.
In cardiology, the stone is called chronic complete obstruction (CTO). This means that the artery is completely blocked. It occurs in 15-20% of patients with heart disease. Sometimes there was a complete blockage for months or even years. However, only 3-5% of these patients undergo stenting or bypass surgery, so there is a real need to help untreated patients.
Undiagnosed and untreated CTO can lead to symptoms and affect quality of life.
The effect of total congestion
Arterial occlusion occurs unevenly. Treating a 97% occluded artery is much easier than treating a chronically 100% occluded artery. Symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, and shortness of breath may be similar.
Sometimes when the vessels become completely blocked, a new blood supply develops around the blockage. This new blood supply, called collateral, does not deliver as much blood to your heart. This can lead to symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath.
If you experience these symptoms, a stress test can help determine whether it’s caused by a blocked artery or something else. The first step is to see a doctor.