Does the new drug which treats prostate symptoms associated with risk of falls?
The cause of prostate infection is not always clear, but researchers believe that these have something to do with its occurrence
- The microorganism can cause chronic prostatitis
- The immune system is reacting to nerve damage around the area
- The immune system is responding to previous UTI
Using a catheter or having any medical procedure that involves the urethra increases the risk of prostate infection .other risk factors are:
- Infection
- Bladder obstruction
- Injury or enlarged prostate that can encourage infection
- Sexually transmitted diseases
Prostate cancer is another infection that is one of the most common among the cancers in men.
The specific risk factors of prostate cancer are unclear, but medics believe there is a contribution by a protein that this organ excretes. A prostate produces a fluid that nourishes and transports sperm on its journey to fuse with a female egg and create life. Contraction by the prostate forces the liquids to come out during an orgasm. PSA (Prostate-specific antigen) is the protein that the prostate excretes to enable the semen to retain the liquid state. An excess of PSA in blood is among the first signs of prostate cancer.
Association between Prostate Symptoms Medication and Risk of Falls
There are many types of medications that cause different side effects. Alpha-adrenergic blockers (alpha blockers) are a drug that treats prostate symptoms, but they have drugs that increase the risk of falls because they cause one of few of these effects that contribute to a risk of falling.
- Drowsiness
- Hypotension
- Ataxia/gait disturbance
- Parkinsonian effects
A drug that produces these effects is likely to the other impacts that might also increase the risk of other conditions such as osteoporosis or a reduced bone mineral density, fracture or threat of brain hemorrhage also increases.
Alpha blockers are a type of medication that many take for treatment of urinary difficulties that occur due to an overgrown prostate cause a small but dangerous risk of falling according to recent studies. It also has properties that cause a sudden drop in blood pressure. It is their ability to reduce BP that makes doctors prescribes them to manage high blood pressure but for a prostatitis patient with normal blood pressure, their prescription might cause the pressure to drop too low.
Why Do Doctors Prescribe Alpha Blockers
Alpha blockers relax some muscles and help the small blood vessels to stay open. They work by preventing norepinephrine (noradrenaline) hormone from tightening the muscles in walls of smaller veins and arteries causing vessels to relax and remain open. It improves the flow of blood and lower blood pressure. Because alpha blockers relax the other muscles of the whole body, the medications help to enhance the flow of urine among the men with prostate problems.
Examples of alpha blockers types
There are different types of alpha-blockers for treating prostate problems. Alpha-blocking agents, alpha-adrenergic antagonists, alpha-adrenergic blocking agents, and alpha-blocking agents are the other names for this medication.
They can be long or short-acting forms. Short-acting medications act fast, but their effect lasts for a few hours. Long-acting medications take a longer time for the patient to feel the effects but they continue for more extended period. The best alpha blocker for a patient with prostate symptoms depends on the health and extent of prostatitis.
Examples of alpha blockers for treating prostate symptoms but also cause the blood pressure to reduce include:
- Prazosin (Minipress)
- Doxazosin (Cardura)
- Terazosin
Drug That Treats Prostate Symptoms Cause a Risk of falls
Many men who get alpha blocking agents also get a warning that they increase the risk of falls, but it is not all the studies that have come to this conclusion. Though this risk of falls can be attributed drugs is small it might be compounded by other existing factors such taking them along with other medications that could lower blood pressure or have a history of falling and mobility problems.
It is still important to start watching out for the side effects when someone starts taking any of the alpha blockers. A Canadian study identified over 147,000 to take a prescription of the different types of drugs that work a similar way. Over a three month period, 14 percent of the men in the study got effects that increased the need to visit an emergency room or a hospital admission due to a fall. The study was in comparison with a carefully matched comparison group of men who did not take the alpha-blocking agents. In absolute numbers, it shows that 17 out of 10,000 could get a higher risk of falls because of the drugs although the scope of the study was not focusing on other cause and effect relationships. Alpha blockers cause more risk of falls because they trigger these contributing factors.
1.Drowsiness
Drowsiness is the feeling of excessive sleepiness without any other cause as they often cause apathy and fatigue. Excessive sleepiness even during the day is one o the significant factors contributing to falls in older adults. Problems with sleep often occur in older adults, and it is the same age when prostate symptoms arise. Since doctors must treat the issues that arise due to infection and enlarging of the prostate, they use alpha blockers that in turn cause drowsiness. Alertness is essential is essential in maintaining balance when walking requires vigilance which is not at the optimal level for patients with drowsiness.
2.Hypotension
Hypotension is a significant drop in the blood pressure that mostly affects the older patients when they are in hospital under medication. It causes the patient to feel;
- Lightheaded
- Dizziness
- Visual blurring
- Fatigue
- General weakness
- Leg buckling
- Cognitive slowdown
- Leg buckling
- Ache in the neck and shoulders(coathannger ache)
Unsteadiness, sudden or gradual unconsciousness and falls are frequent among such patients.
It is essential for nurses taking care of patients who take medications such as alpha blockers for treating prostate symptoms to know that it can cause falls. They should be skillful in assessing, monitoring and treating a patient about the falls assessment and management. Some patients who may not experience the symptoms above while other may not remember having them thus caregivers might miss hypotension if it is not part of the assessment.
Changing from a lying position stand causes much of the blood approximately 500ml to pool at the lower parts due to gravity. A healthy body can counteract this through an autonomic nervous system that increases the increases the heart rate, vascular tone, and cardiac contractility to regulate BP and maintain adequate cerebral perfusion.
Alpha blockers cause an inadequate physiological response to postural changes especially the aged which may cause a significant drop in blood pressure resulting in symptoms that increase risk of falls. These symptoms may resolve after resuming a seating or supine position but it is essential for caregivers and physicians to determine if prostate symptoms medication could be the cause.
3.Dizziness
Dizziness or lightheadedness might not be a sign of serious but still requires checking up by doctors especially for those on medication because some of the drugs could be the cause. Understanding the reason for those with prostate medications is essential because the medicine is one of the causes of such extreme dizziness because it reduces the blood pressure.
The usual drugs for prostate cases are alpha blockers that can also cause orthostatic (postural) hypotension that causes a drop in the blood pressure when someone stands from a sitting or lying position. An assessment is necessary because it is not all the patients who get dizziness because of the medicine. Other causes such as aging, circulation, dehydration, and other medical conditions such as heart or Parkinson’s disease could be the reason someone has dizziness.
4.Ataxia/gait disturbance
Ataxia refers to a lack of coordination and might including a staggering pace, uncoordinated movement of the arms, eyes as well as speech. Ataxias are a group of neurodegenerative genetic conditions that cause balance problems. Alpha blockers increase the risk of falls because of higher variability. Gait disorders are prevalent among the older people and increases with age. The cause can be neurological or non-neurological, but they occur at the age when men are likely to have prostate symptoms that require medicine with effects which are expected to increase the risk of falls.
5.Parkinsonian effects
The parkinsonian effect is a chronic progressive neurological disease that decreases the production of dopamine which helps much in controlling the movement of the body. Parkinson’s disease usually occurs in the aged, but the medicine that treats prostate symptoms can cause similar effects. The most outstanding change relating to Parkinson like conditions is that it hinders movement including walking and increases the risk of falls and freezing. The walking (gait) suffers from impairment causing changes in movement including:
- Slowed progress Inability to swing arms partly or completely
- Small shuffling steps
- A tendency to lean forward
Walking can become tiring even when the above symptoms do not occur. Changes in walking can relate to the medication cycle such as when a patient is on or off the medication. One of the ways to manage the side effects of alpha blockers is to consult a specialist to review the drugs that cause much effect. Help from a physiotherapist on how to improve walking can help in managing the side effects. Parkinsons effect because of prostate medication can also cause freezing which is a form of more advanced walking challenge. Freezing is a sudden stop when trying to move after feeling as if the feet are glued to the ground. Freezing usually occurs in particular situations such as when starting to walk, attempting to turn a corner, stepping through doorways or approaching a chair.
Should doctors and patients avoid new drug for prostate symptoms that has more association with a risk of falls. Eliminating the alpha blockers from a prescription range might not be the realistic option. They provide many benefits to the patient by train he symptoms of the prostate that at the time area massive problem for a patient. The essential thing is for doctors to continually weigh the benefits together with the drawbacks of each type of medicine that they can prescribe to impatient. If the person has a history of falls or new clinical information shows that this might occur limited options if the medication is essential for healing and critical aspects of well being. It is a situation of anticipated falls where a patient indicates he or she is at risk. They can take measures to maintain a safe environment for the patient during the time of medication.
Simple changes such as a review of medication regimes that have more association with falls are more likely to solve the issue by simultaneous solving of other possible causes such as age or environmental factors.