Q: What Is Autonomic Dysreflexia?

A: Autonomic dysreflexia, or AD, is a condition that occurs only in persons with spinal cord injury above T6 that causes big increases in blood pressure. It may be life-threatening.

Q: Why is it life threatening?

A: If it isn’t treated promptly it may cause a stroke or heart attack.

Q: How will I know if I have AD?

A: The Common Symptoms of AD are:
-Goose Bumps
-A Chill
-Heavy Sweating
-A Very Bad Headache

Sometimes, rather than these symptoms, people get a sudden sense that something is terribly wrong.

Q: What causes AD?

A: AD is caused by an abnormal stimulation in the paralyzed region of the body. Bladder, bowel, or skin irritation are the most common stimulants.

Urine infections and overfilling of the bladder are the most common bladder causes of AD.

The next most common cause is a bowel impaction.

Q: What should I do if I have AD?

A: 1. If you are lying down you should sit up and loosen any clothing or bands that might be squeezing the arms or legs. Frequently these two steps will lower the blood pressure and decrease the symptoms.

2. Check your blood pressure and pulse every 2-5 minutes because the blood pressure may change very rapidly.

3. Next you need to find the cause of the AD.

-Check that your bladder is not overfilled.

-If you have a indwelling catheter (foley or suprapubic tube) make sure it is draining well. If you use an external catheter or intermittent catheterization you should empty your bladder with a catheter.

4. Check your bowel for an impaction. If you find a mass of hard stool gently remove it or get help to remove it.

The Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) have a consumer guide that gives detailed instructions on these steps in managing AD.

The website to order this guide is: http://www.pva.org/cgi-bin/pvastore.cgi?id=1

Q: What do I do if the AD does not go away?

A: If you can�t get the symptoms of AD to resolve you should go to the emergency department of your local hospital for a more thorough evaluation.

Be sure to tell the emergency room nurses and doctors that you are in AD.

You may need to explain to them what AD means. Many community hospital staff do not come into contact with persons having AD very often, so you may need to give them the information they will need to treat you.

You can go to SCI-Info web site and print out an AD information card to carry in your wallet.

The web site is: http://www.sci-info-pages.com/ad.html

If AD becomes a common occurrence you should learn how to use a blood pressure cuff to measure your blood pressure. The automatic cuffs available today make this a pretty easy thing to learn to do.