| The internal carotid artery originates at the | | | | because strong very strong vagus nerve impulses |
| common carotid artery's bifurcation and a localized | | | | are generated which leads to terminal cardiac |
| dilation at this point is what is called the carotid | | | | arrest. This is supposedly the cause of death in |
| sinus. Its main function is to act as a sampling | | | | cases of strangulation and hanging. However this |
| area through a large number of baroreceptors for | | | | is still controversial even though studies point out |
| homeostatic mechanism to maintain blood | | | | that if not the main or only cause but still this can |
| pressure. A particular nerve of the sinus called | | | | be a very significant factor in death as it reduces |
| Hering innervates the baroreceptors in the carotid | | | | both blood pressure and heart rate. This is more |
| sinus. This sinus sometimes gets atherosclerotic | | | | true in case of elderly people and people suffering |
| plaques. This is caused by hemodynamics. | | | | from hypersensitivity of carotid sinus. The other |
| Hemodynamics is the medical term used for low | | | | life threatening effects produced by the |
| wall shear stress inducing flow reversal or | | | | hypersensitivity of carotid sinus besides heart |
| recirculation. | | | | attack are pulmonary embolism and stroke. |
| Now what causes carotid sinus related diseases is | | | | One very interesting fact, which comes handy in |
| nothing but these very plaques. If these plaques | | | | dealing with some of the problems, is what is |
| are large and therefore unstable, they make a | | | | called as carotid sinus hypersensitivity itself! It is |
| person susceptible to ischemic strokes and also | | | | oversensitive to manual stimulation and manual |
| transient ischemic attacks. | | | | stimulation can effect substantial changes in blood |
| To understand a bit more about what carotid | | | | pressure and heart rate. Massage is used many |
| sinus and human stimulation are related we need | | | | times in diagnosing carotid sinus syncope. This is |
| to look into what is what is carotid sinus reflex | | | | also used differentiating between supraventricular |
| death. This is actually a disputed mechanism which | | | | tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia. Though it |
| is supposed to cause death through manual | | | | is not as effective as pharmaceutical |
| stimulation of the carotid sinus. this happens | | | | management is with adenosine or verapmil. |