Autonomic dysreflexia

Autonomic dysreflexia is a dangerous syndrome in which the blood pressure of a person with a spinal cord injury (SCI) suddenly goes very high. It is your body's reaction to physical stress below your SCI. It happens when your body can't restore your blood pressure to normal because of spinal cord damage.

Autonomic dysreflexia is a syndrome in which the blood pressure of a person with a spinal cord injury (SCI) suddenly goes very high. Symptoms include:

• A pounding headache.
• A flushed face and red blotches on the skin above the level of spinal injury.
• Sweating above the level of spinal injury.
• A stuffy nose.
• Nausea.
• A slow or very fast heart rate.
• Goose bumps below the level of spinal injury.
• Cold, clammy skin below the level of spinal injury.

There are ways you may be able to treat autonomic dysreflexia at home.

• Sit up straight, or raise your head so you are looking straight ahead. If you can lower your legs, do so. You need to be sitting upright until your blood pressure is back to normal.
• Loosen or take off any tight clothing or accessories. This includes braces, catheter tape, socks or stockings, shoes, and bandages.
• Empty your bladder by draining your Foley catheter or using your catheter.
• Use digital stimulation to empty your bowel.
• Check your skin for red spots that mean you might have a pressure injury.
• If you can, check your blood pressure every 5 minutes to see if it improves.
• Call your doctor, even if symptoms go away and your blood pressure is decreasing.
• If the symptoms return, repeat the above steps and go to the emergency room or call emergency services.

Be sure to talk to your health care team ahead of time about what to do when you have symptoms of autonomic dysreflexia. Call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical care if symptoms of autonomic dysreflexia don't get better right away. If you or a caregiver can't treat it promptly and correctly, it may lead to seizures, stroke, and even death.