Disorders of the Autonomic Nervous System

Autonomic dysreflexia,"AD" or "autonomic hyperreflexia" is a massive sympathetic discharge that can occur in association with spinal cord injury or disease (e.g. multiple sclerosis). It is triggered by a variety of noxious stimuli, including bladder distension, irritation to the urinary tract, skin ulcers, fractures, abdominal emergencies, bowel impaction and uterine contractions. Sometimes the triggering factor is obscure.

Pure autonomic failure, also known as Bradbury-Eggleston syndrome or idiopathic orthostatic hypotension, is a form of dysautonomia that first occurs in middle age or later in life; men are affected more often than women. It is one of three diseases classified as primary autonomic failure.