Autonomic dysreflexia is a medical emergency occurring after spinal cord injury caused by disruption of the normal autonomic responses to a stimulus below the level of spinal cord lesion. Although it can lead to stroke, convulsions, cardiac arrest and death, health professionals are largely ignorant of the condition and it is frequently misdiagnosed. This article gives an overview of autonomic dysreflexia, along with how it can be diagnosed and treated.