Word parts
What it means
Describes body work that happens without the person deciding: heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, sweating, bladder emptying and pupil size. It is run by the autonomic nervous systemaw-tuh-NOM-ik NUR-vus SIS-tumThe part of the nervous system that controls body functions without conscious thought, such as heart rate, breathing and digestion.auto- selfnom/o law, control-ic relating toFull entry , which has two branches. The sympathetic nervous systemsim-puh-THET-ik NER-vus SIS-tumThe branch of the autonomic nervous system that gets the body ready for stress or danger ("fight or flight").Full entry prepares the body for stress ("fight or flight"); the parasympathetic branch slows things down for rest and digestion ("rest and digest").
For the nurse
Many drugs act on autonomic nerves and change the heart rate, blood pressure, bowels or bladder. Check vital signs before and after giving them. In a client with a spinal cord injury at or above the middle of the back, a sudden pounding headache with very high blood pressure (autonomic dysreflexia) is an emergency.
At a glance
| Spanish | autónomo |
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Related terms
autonomic nervous system
The part of the nervous system that controls body functions without conscious thought, such as heart rate, breathing and digestion.
receptor
A structure on or in a cell that a specific chemical, such as a hormone or drug, attaches to in order to act.
adrenergic agonist
A drug that acts like epinephrine or norepinephrine on the body's adrenergic receptors.
sympathetic nervous system
The branch of the autonomic nervous system that gets the body ready for stress or danger ("fight or flight").