The carotid artery is considered one of the large vessels in the human body that supplies blood to the brain. Since ancient times, people have been looking for ways to put a person to sleep. It was possible to find out what would happen if you click on the carotid artery, which is located on the neck. Interesting? Then read on.
The carotid artery is an important blood vessel that transports 70% of oxygenated blood from the heart to the brain.
Anatomy of an artery
You need to know that the carotid artery branches off from the aorta. After there is a division into the right and left common branch. This is necessary to cover the entire neck area on both sides for the necessary supply of oxygen to brain cells. At the level of the Adam's apple, each artery divides again: already into an external and an internal branch.
The internal artery runs along the temple, enters the foramen of the skull, and there it divides into a network of blood vessels. This allows each brain cell to be supplied with oxygen.
The outer branch goes to the chin and goes up to the face and eyes to feed these organs.
Place of artery pulsation
Many people know that if a person loses consciousness - you need to check the pulse on the neck. This is where the external carotid artery is palpated.
It is worth putting two fingers just below (2-3 cm) the edge of the jaw, next to the large cervical muscle. The pads of the fingers will feel the pulsation of the vessel wall. This skill is necessary for measuring heart rate, as it is not always possible to feel the pulse on the wrists.
What if the carotid artery is pressed too hard? This will only worsen the condition of the person. Pressing should be soft so as not to block the blood supply to the brain even for a short period.
What happens when clamped?
Why is the carotid artery called "carotid"? The definition didn't just happen. Even in the distant past, people noticed that when squeezing a person's throat, loss of consciousness can occur. At first, this was attributed to the fact that the airways were squeezed, but, conducting research and experiments, they discovered the cause, which lies in the arteries that supply the brain with blood. What happens if you press on the carotid artery?
Firstly, if the clamping is short-term (approximately 10-30 seconds), the person loses consciousness. This is due to a decrease in the amount of oxygen, so the person turns off. This is due to the saving of energy resources to preserve the viability of the organism. By pressing on the carotid artery, it is quite easy to put a person to sleep. This methodused in the past for operations - a kind of anesthesia to reduce pain.
Secondly, if the clamping of the artery lasts more than one minute, irreversible consequences can occur for the tissues of the brain, which is associated with a lack of oxygen and nutrients. This is often fatal.
How to stop bleeding?
What happens if you press the carotid artery in time with open neck injuries and obvious bleeding? This will save a person's life. Death from bleeding from this vessel occurs within minutes. Since the pressure inside them is very strong, death will occur in 1-2 minutes if damaged.
How to properly press on the carotid artery to save life? To do this, you need to make a pressure bandage at the site of injury. Throw the opposite hand behind the head so that the forearm lies on the top of the head. Using a bandage or twisted gauze, you need to strongly press down on the artery, and then wrap the patient's hand to the neck. This will put enough pressure on the injury site to stop the bleeding.
Paramedics also use the carotid tourniquet technique. This is a rather complicated method that should be performed by a specialist with experience in such manipulations.
Using the Squeeze Technique
In many types of martial arts, fighters know how to put a person to sleep by pressing on the carotid artery. This technique allows them to render the opponent unconscious for a quarter of a minute. Just enough15 seconds for a person to fall asleep. But this technique remains forbidden, because it is not always possible to perform it correctly.
Many people do not understand what will happen if you press on the carotid artery. Especially teenagers. Therefore, do not joke with squeezing the neck and its arteries in order to protect yourself and another person from fatal complications.
It's good to know what happens if the carotid artery is occluded. But it is not so useful to practice it. Literally a few extra seconds without oxygen for the human brain can turn into a terrible tragedy.
