Doctors prescribe alpha blocker medications for several health disorders, most related to the circulatory system. Available in short-acting and long-acting forms, these drugs relax smooth muscles and help small blood vessels stay open. Some types of alpha blockers include doxazosin, under the brand Cardura; phenoxybenzamine, as the brand Dibenzyline; and terazosin, under the brand Hytrin.
Cardiovascular Benefits
Alpha blockers benefit the cardiovascular system by helping keep small arteries and veins relaxed and wide, thus improving blood flow and reducing blood pressure, as explained by the Mayo Clinic. Alpha blockers stop the hormone norepinephrine from tightening the muscles in the walls of these small blood vessels. Other medications usually are more effective at treating primary hypertension, or high blood pressure not associated with another disorder, but alpha blockers may be prescribed to these patients along with other drugs, such as diuretics. People with certain circulatory disorders also may benefit from taking alpha blockers. Raynaud's disease, for instance, involves spasmodic episodes of blood-vessel narrowing that limit blood flow to the fingers and toes, usually in response to cold or stress. Alpha blockers can improve this condition, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Scleroderma
Doctors prescribe medications that improve circulation, such as alpha blockers, to treat the autoimmune disorder scleroderma, according to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Scleroderma is a connective-tissue disease that causes the body to produce too much collagen, leading to thickening and hardening of the skin, and sometimes the internal organs. Alpha blockers can prevent high blood pressure associated with this disorder, and also slow or stop disease progression. Additionally, many people with scleroderma have Raynaud's, although when the condition occurs in conjunction with another disorder, it is called Raynaud's phenomenon rather than Raynaud's disease.
Adrenal Gland Tumor Complications
Alpha blockers also are useful in treating symptoms of adrenal gland tumors called pheochromocytomas, as explained by the Mayo Clinic. This rare and usually noncancerous type of tumor can cause the adrenal gland to produce high levels of hormones that increase blood pressure and heart rate. Treatment with alpha blockers can return blood pressure to normal until the patient has surgery to remove the tumor.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Alpha blockers also have benefits for men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. BPH's symptoms include frequent urination, sudden urges to urinate, intermittent flow and incomplete bladder emptying. Because alpha blockers relax smooth muscle tissue in the prostate and the bladder neck, they improve BPH symptoms by allowing urine to flow out of the bladder more easily. Most men find that alpha blockers significantly improve their symptoms, according to the University of Michigan Health Center, particularly when also taking a type of medication called a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor.
