Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) is a health emergency that affects over 50% of people with spinal cord injuries. If left untreated, autonomic dysreflexia can be life-threatening.
If you’re suffering from autonomic dysreflexia but cannot find the cause, here are some lesser-known causes to investigate.
What is Autonomic Dysreflexia?
Autonomic dysreflexia is an overreaction of the nervous system caused when your body is sending pain signals that you're unable to feel due to a spinal cord injury.
AD can cause a variety of symptoms. The most common symptom is a severe headache and elevated blood pressure, which can lead to a stroke.
The most common causes of autonomic dysreflexia are a full bladder, bowels and intense skin pressure, but many other things can cause autonomic dysreflexia as well.
While some causes of AD are easy to spot, others can be internal which will require a scan at the hospital.
Beginning of a Bladder Infection
If you've emptied your bladder and you're still experiencing AD, you may be going through the beginning stages of a bladder infection/UTI.
Many people suffer from AD when a bladder infection is beginning.
To find out if you have a bladder infection we recommend buying UTI test strips at any pharmacy. Treating the infection will help stop the pain which will help with the autonomic dysreflexia.
The test strips will indicate whether you have a UTI and showing a doctor your test results can help you get antibiotics faster.
Bladder Spasms
The bladder after a spinal cord injury can become very angry. While infections are the top problem, bladder spasms can be just as problematic and common.
In fact, bladder spasticity is one of the top causes of autonomic dysreflexia.
Many people with SCI are prescribed medication to help quell their bladder spasticity. In the past, doctors used would prescribe oxybutynin for this side-effect of paralysis, but now Toviaz is prescribed instead as oxybutynin was discovered to cause dementia.
Gas Buildup
Digestive issues are another top cause of AD outside of just simply needing to use the restroom, which can cause AD too if you wait too long.
One of the most common digestive issues to cause AD is simply having gas, or too much, which can be difficult for the person with a SCI to expel.
If you’re experiencing bouts of AD and you can't find the cause, remember that one of the most common digestive issues is a buildup of gas in your intestines.
To relieve pain being caused by gas, ask your doctor for gas-relief medication.
Pressure Relief
Since it can be difficult to determine the root cause of AD, an easy way to disrupt AD is to do pressure relief stretches in your wheelchair.
Staying in one singular position for too long can be uncomfortable and cause pain even if you cannot feel it in your lower extremities.
By doing pressure relief stretches in your wheelchair, you are moving your body, which can help undo pain.
Dehydrated
A side-effect of having a neurogenic bladder is having a bladder that is prone to pain. And a quick way to cause bladder pain is to not drink enough water.
One of the best ways to fix this is to drink enough water and to stay hydrated at all times. This simple task can do wonders for your bladder.
Bladder or Kidney Stones
Unfortunately, the root cause of what could be causing chronic AD is bladder and kidney stones. These happen quite often to people with spinal cord injuries due to their sedentary lifestyles and not being able to push sediment out normally while urinating.
You will need to get a scan of your bladder or kidneys to see if any stones are present. If they are, you may need a procedure to remove them. If left untreated, bladder stones can lead to high levels of autonomic dysreflexia. And in the kidneys, stones can be deadly.
Bone Fracture
Unfortunately, bone fractures can go unnoticed when you have paralysis due to the lack of sensation.
However, if you are experiencing AD regularly and don't know why, you may want to consider asking your doctor for a full body x-ray to see if it might reveal any bone fractures.
Even the smallest hairline fracture can cause elevated pain levels, leading to AD.
