Home » Causes of Stroke » Blockage of Artery There are two renal arteries, one that supplies blood to the right kidney and the other that supplies blood to the left kidney. These main artery branch into many smaller arteries. Blockage of Artery that is mainly renal artery, or one of its large or medium-sized branches is rare. Most often a blockage occurs when a clog moves from elsewhere in the body and deposits in the renal artery. Typically, such clots develop as fragments from a larger clot in the heart or from the breakup of a fatty deposit in the aorta. Alternatively, a Blockage of Artery may result when a blood clot forms in the renal artery itself, usually where the artery has been wounded.

A sudden injury may be caused by a medical procedure, such as angiography, surgery and angioplasty. A clot may also develop where the renal artery has been gradually injured or damaged by atherosclerosis or arteritis.

The are certain symptoms for Blockage of Artery. A partial blockage of the renal arteries usually does not cause any symptoms. However, as the blockage detoriates, a person may have a steady aching pain in the lower back or occasionally in the lower abdomen. A partial blockage may also gradually direct to high blood pressure, or a sudden detoriation of the previous high blood pressure. This occurs only when a person has gradual and continuous narrowing of one or both renal arteries. In such cases if a person is given an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or an angiotensin II blocker to treat high blood pressure, kidney function also decline rapidly. The effect is changeable if the drug is discontinued readily.

If a blockages result from a clot that has moved to and deposited in one of the renal artery segments, the person may have clots elsewhere in the body also, in such places as the brain, intestines, and the skin of the fingers and toes. These clots may cause pain in these areas as well as small ulcers or gangrene. It even causes small stroke. A total blockage of one of the renal arteries may cause vomiting, fever, nausea and back pain. A blockage seldom causes bleeding that turns the urine red or dark brown. The dignosis of Blockage of Artery is done on the basis of its symptoms. Laboratory tests, such as a complete blood count and urinalysis may add further indications. The amount of lactate dehydrogenase in the blood is often increased; lactate dehydrogenase is an enzyme that is often released when organ damage has occurred.

The treatment of Blockage of Artery is aimed at preventing further declension of blood flow and mending blood flow that has been blocked. In the case of blood clots, the usual treatment is with anticoagulant drugs. These drugs are given first intravenously and then by mouth for longer periods of time. Anticoagulants prevent the initial clot from expanding and further clots from forming.