---
title: "Living with Autonomic Dysreflexia: What You Really Need to Know"
description: In this video, Jessika Kattah explains what Autonomic Dysreflexia is from the perspective of someone who lives with the condition every day.
---

[Spinal Cord Injury Journal ](https://www.spinalcord.com/blog)

# [Living with Autonomic Dysreflexia: What You Really Need to Know](https://www.spinalcord.com/blog/living-with-autonomic-dysreflexia)

 Written by [Spinal Cord Team](https://www.spinalcord.com/blog/author/spinal-cord-team) | December 07, 2020

[Autonomic Dysreflexia](https://www.spinalcord.com/blog/recognizing-signs-of-autonomic-dysreflexia-in-spinal-cord-injury), or AD for short, is a severe condition suffered by thousands of Americans that causes severe discomfort and can be life-threatening. However, this condition is often ill-understood, even by members of the medical community.

In the above video, I talk about some of my personal insights into Autonomic Dysreflexia, what it is, the symptoms, the triggers for AD attacks, the importance of being vigilant about symptoms, and taking proactive measures to prepare for an attack. One measure I recommend in the video is carrying special wallet cards that detail your condition, baseline vitals, injury details, and medications to relieve AD symptoms (you can find the PDFs for these cards [on the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation website](https://www.christopherreeve.org/living-with-paralysis/free-resources-and-downloads/wallet-cards)).

As I say in the video:

> If you or someone you know suffers from Autonomic Dysreflexia, please share this video. Let's raise awareness, let's educate those closest to us so they know the symptoms and what to do in case of an emergency. There's no shame in speaking about this condition. We didn't ask for this, it came along with our spinal cord injury. And, until we find a cure for spinal cord injury, we need to raise awareness about everything it involves, including Autonomic Dysreflexia. 

[View full post](https://www.spinalcord.com/blog/living-with-autonomic-dysreflexia)

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