Just for your SCI Knowledge: What is Autonomic Dysreflexia?

2/2/2014 12:00:00 AM

AD usually occurs because of a noxious (irritating) stimulus below the level of the injury. Symptoms include headache, facial flush, perspiration, and a stuffy nose.

AD occurs primarily because of an imbalance in the body systems which control the blood pressure. The human body is an incredibly complicated and beautifully balanced machine. There are balances to each system of the body, including the blood pressure. One of the major ways the body controls blood pressure is by tightening or relaxing little muscles around the blood vessels. When the muscles contract, the blood vessels get smaller and blood pressure increases. Imagine a garden hose with water streaming through it; when you put your thumb over the opening of the hose, reducing the opening for the water to flow through, the water shoots out at a higher pressure. Similarly, when the blood vessels are smaller, the blood rushes around your body at higher pressure.

When a noxious stimulus occurs, a reflex is initiated that causes the blood vessels to constrict and raises the blood pressure. In an intact spinal cord, this same stimulus also sets in motion another set of reflexes that moderates the constriction of blood vessels. However, in someone who has SCI at the T-6 level or above, the signal which tells the blood vessels to relax cannot get through the spinal cord because of the injury. Some of the nerves at the T-6 level also control the blood flow to and from the gut, which is a large reservoir of blood. Uncontrolled activity of these nerves may cause the blood from the gut to flow into the rest of the blood system. The result is that blood pressure can increase to dangerous levels and the increase in blood pressure must be controlled by outside means.

SCI Awareness - Understanding the Importance of Language and Images

Every day more than 30 people become paralyzed from spinal cord injury (SCI) or disease. The majority of people with SCI use wheelchairs for mobility. Among the most difficult barriers are those involving the public's misperceptions and attitudes.

Language is a very powerful tool. It can be used not only to communicate ideas, but also to change and shape attitudes. People with all types of disabilities are striving for equality, community accessibility, and acceptance. Yet, they are constantly confronted by language which perpetuates negative stereotypes of who they are and what they are capable of doing.

Using positive language that values and affirms people with disabilities is a first step in helping to change societal attitudes. When a term such as "victim" or "invalid" is used to describe a person who uses a wheelchair, the listener or reader immediately views the person as an object, not as a human being. The image that comes to mind is a negative one, focused not on the person, but on the disability. These terms do not allow or encourage the reader or listener to see any of the unique aspects of the individual.

When a person sustains a spinal cord injury and is paralyzed, he/she loses the ability to fully use his/her legs and/or arms. He/she does not lose the ability to think, feel, learn, love, work, or to live life to its fullest.

It is important to know the appropriate and acceptable terminology to use when writing or speaking about people with SCI. Using proper language is more than just being "politically correct." It helps portray people who use wheelchairs more accurately, raises public awareness about SCI, and helps break down attitudinal barriers and negative stereotypes.



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