Although people will not feel anything from the plaque rupture itself, they will clearly feel the effects of a plaque rupture if it leads to a heart attack, transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke, or arterial embolism. The symptoms of each of these conditions are described below.

Heart attack symptoms

Up to 25 percent of people having a heart attack experience no symptoms at all (a silent heart attack). However, the majority of people experience symptoms such as the following:

TIA and stroke symptoms

Both a TIA and a stroke produce similar symptoms, which are temporary in the TIA and longer-lasting or permanent in the case of a stroke. These symptoms include:

• Weakness, numbness or tingling on one side of the body
• Confusion
• Trouble speaking (e.g., slurred speech)
• Difficulty understanding speech
• Loss of balance or coordination (i.e., vertigo)
• Severe headache

People having a TIA or stroke may also have a variety of visual problems that include:

• Partial loss of vision or complete blindness
• Double vision
• Abnormal eye movements
• Blurred vision
• A gray shading or fogging within the field of vision

Arterial embolism symptoms

An arterial embolism can cause a number of symptoms. The signs and symptoms of an arterial embolism depend on the artery that is blocked and the organs or region it had been supplying. Arterial emboli tend to become lodged at the fork of major arteries, with more than 50 percent affecting vessels in the lower extremities. Blocking an artery in an extremity usually results in symptoms such as:

• Pain, numbness, coldness and/or tingling in the affected extremity
• Lack of pulse in the extremity’s arteries, on the far side of the blockage
• Pallor or mottling of the skin over the affected area
• A heightened sensitivity of the skin (paresthesia) in that area
• Muscular spasms or paralysis of the area