Q: Hi. I am constantly aware of my carotid artery beating in the front of my neck, and lately i've been feeling a pressure near the carotid artery (2-3 inches below adams apple on the neck) Could this be serious? Should I have this looked into? I'd also like to add that i'm only 16 years old
A: Many people feel the normal pulsations in their head and neck because these arteries are close to the surface. Of course a medical question like this can not be answered without a real evaluation / exam. There are certainly diseases / conditions which could cause an excessive sense of pulsations: Carotid aneurysm, hyperthyroidism, aortic valve regurgitation to name a few. Only a proper evaluation would rule out these things, So, yes somebody should check it out.