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Does stress affect PSA?

Stress May Worsen Symptoms Researchers have found a correlation between stress, PsA symptoms and disease activity. When you feel stressed, your body triggers the release of chemicals that cause physiological changes, such as your breathing to quicken, your heart rate to increase and your muscles to tense.

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Research suggests emotional distress may trigger or worsen PsA, but many questions remain.

Can trauma or stress trigger the onset of psoriatic arthritis (PsA)? Can worrying make the disease worse?

Research examining the role of trauma and emotional distress in rheumatic diseases suggests the answers to both questions may be yes. For example, a 2013 study found that people with PsA reported higher amounts of traumatic childhood events – including physical, emotional, or sexual abuse -- than those who reported no childhood trauma.

Psychological Stress May Affect Disease Outcomes

Research has indicated that psychological stress is linked to poor outcomes, including diseases flares in inflammatory arthritis. For example, in one study, researchers investigated a link between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and autoimmune diseases among US soldiers. The study found soldiers who had PTSD and arthritis a had higher rates of self-reported pain, physical impairment and tender joint count, than those who had arthritis but no PTSD.

Stress May Worsen Symptoms

Researchers have found a correlation between stress, PsA symptoms and disease activity.

When you feel stressed, your body triggers the release of chemicals that cause physiological changes, such as your breathing to quicken, your heart rate to increase and your muscles to tense. If you feel stressed regularly the increased tension in your muscles can increase inflammation. Increased inflammation can worsen your arthritis symptoms, such as pain, psoriasis and joint damage. Worsening symptoms can fuel stress and anxiety, creating a vicious cycle. This can affect your sleep and ability to exercise which can further contribute to inflammation and pain.

Understanding the Role of Emotions

Researchers say such findings point to the need for more studies about exactly how stress and worrying impacts the disease process. One presumption is that stress leads to changes in the functioning of the immune system. Another possible explanation is because worrying affects emotional well-being and behaviour, it could lead to less treatment adherence. Despite the growing evidence that emotional stress can affect the immune system, explaining the effect can be difficult. This is because stress effects people differently and people have different responses to stressors. While the medical community continues to search for answers, patients with the tendency to worry extensively can be helped with psychological interventions like cognitive-behavioural therapy. It is not uncommon for people to feel stressed time-to-time, but dealing with a condition like inflammatory arthritis stress levels can be heightened. Best stress relievers for PsA provides some helpful tips on how to deal with stress.

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How does Flomax shrink the prostate?

Tamsulosin helps reduce the symptoms of an enlarged prostate gland by relaxing the muscles in the bladder and prostate so you can pee more easily.

Tamsulosin comes as slow-release tablets and capsules (also called modified release, prolonged release, MR or XL).

This means the medicine is released into your body gradually.

How much will I take?

The usual dose of tamsulosin for enlarged prostate and kidney stone is 400 micrograms, once a day. The word microgram is sometimes written with the Greek symbol μ followed by the letter g (μg). A microgram is 1,000 times smaller than a milligram (mg).

How to take it

Swallow your tamsulosin capsules or tablets whole with a glass of water.

Do not break, chew or crush them.

If you can, take tamsulosin in the morning, after breakfast or the first meal or snack of the day. This is so the highest levels of medicine are in your body during the day and gives you the most benefit when you are most likely trying to pee.

It's best to take it at about the same time each day.

What if I forget to take it?

If you miss a dose of tamsulosin, and you remember within 6 hours, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it's more than 6 hours, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the usual time the next day. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose. If you forget doses often, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.

What if I take too much?

Taking too much tamsulosin can lead to a decrease in your blood pressure and an increase in your heart rate. You may feel drowsy, faint and lightheaded.

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