Autonomic Dysreflexia
Autonomic dysreflexia (AD), on the other hand, is an abnormal condition when the involuntary (autonomic) nervous system (ANS) overreacts to stimulation below the level of injury. It is a complication of ANS dysfunction and posttraumatic syringomyelia associated with a spinal cord injury, usually when a T6 or higher level spinal sympathetic structures, including those in the intermediolateral areas of T1-L2 segments, innervate the sympathetic nervous system, and in turn, the eccrine glands.
AD has many symptoms. The classic is a severe, pounding headache. Sometimes, it also causes sudden spikes in heart rate and blood pressure, flushed skin, chest tightness, and cold, clammy skin below the level of the spinal injury. Spinal cord injuries also usually cause the brain to misinterpret signals to and from the body significantly below the injured site, resulting in compensatory localized hyperhidrosis or sweating in other parts to compensate for the aberrant sweating patterns.
Though excessive sweating doesn’t seem dangerous except for the damage it does to the individual’s self-esteem, it causes skin irritation, rashes, blisters, nail fungus, athlete’s foot, and even pressure sores. On top of that, there’s always the risk of dehydration when the body fluid lost during sweating isn’t appropriately replenished.
