brain, spinal cord, and nerve disorders
Autonomic Dysreflexia of the Spinal Cord
Introduction
Autonomic dysreflexia of the spinal cord is an overreaction of the autonomic nervous system that occurs in people with a spinal cord injury, causing life-threatening high blood pressure (hypertension). Autonomic dysreflexia occurs 1 month to 1 year later in 20% to 70% of people who have had a spinal cord injury. The autonomic nervous system is the part of the nervous system that regulates body processes, such as blood pressure, urination, bowel movements, digestion, erection, breathing, vision, sweating, and salivation. When the spinal cord is injured, certain nerves in the autonomic nervous system may overreact to the injury or to some other problem, causing blood vessels to narrow and blood pressure to increase. Normally, other autonomic nerves send signals down the spinal cord to widen blood vessels, allowing the blood vessels to carry more blood and thus lower blood pressure. However, when the spinal cord is injured, nerve signals cannot always travel down the spinal cord to widen blood vessels, and blood pressure may remain high. Autonomic dysreflexia may be triggered by A urinary tract disorder, such as a distended bladder or Overview of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) None A distended intestine Pressure Sores None Fractures Some surgical procedures Sometimes sexual intercourse The bladder may become distended when people cannot empty their bladder ( Urinary Retention ) or when a flexible tube used to drain urine (urinary catheter) is blocked. The intestine may be distended when people are 