Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance

MAST CELL ACTIVATION SYNDROME is a condition that causes mast cells to release an inappropriate
amount of chemicals into your body. This causes allergy symptoms and a wide range of other symptoms.
Mast cells are blood cells that are part of your immune system. They help you fight infections, but they
are also involved in allergic reactions. Mast cells live longer than normal cells, and they grow in your
bone marrow, your gastrointestinal tract, your skin, and your airways.

MCAS are complex, highly evolved immune cells that can be found scattered throughout your issues.  They cause allergic symptoms by releasing products called “mediators” stored inside them or made by them Some of these mediators are stored in granules in the mast cells and released quickly and others are made slowly only after the cell has been triggered. Sometimes mast cells become defective and release mediators because of abnormal internal signals. These chemical mediators can affect Skin, Gastrointestinal Tract, Lungs, Sinuses, nervous System, Reproductive organ. These mediators are called Histamine, Tryptase, Chymase, Interleukins, Prostaglandins, Cytokines, Chemokine and Proteases.

Symptoms include:

HISTAMINE INTOLERANCE means that you have a high level of histamine in your body. You naturally
produce histamine along with the enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO). DAO is responsible for breaking down
histamine that you take in from foods. Some reasons your DAO enzyme levels could be affected include:

• medications that block DAO functions or prevent production
• gastrointestinal disorders, such as leaky gut syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease
• histamine-rich foods that cause DAO enzymes to function improperly
• foods that block DAO enzymes or trigger histamine release

Bacterial overgrowth is another contributing factor for developing a histamine intolerance. Bacteria grows when food isn’t digested properly, causing histamine overproduction. Normal levels of DAO enzymes can’t break down the increased levels of histamine in your body, causing a reaction.

The exact cause of mast cell activation syndrome is unknown. It is sometimes called an idiopathic condition because it’s not caused by any other disease or related to a clear allergy or cause.

People who have this syndrome might have a hard time pinpointing the exact thing that triggers allergic reactions. New triggers might come up a lot. At Monarch we understand how to diagnose and treat patients with this problem

References
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3597223/ 
2. https://mastcellactivationsyndrome.org/
3. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100607111308.htm
4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925443911000445
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3753019/
6. https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/related-conditions/mcas
7. https://jhoonline.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1756-8722-4-10
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5341697/
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC32328892/.  (NOT A VALID LINK???)
10. https://www.webmd.com/allergies/what-is-mast-cell-activation-syndrome

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The product
mentioned in this article are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.   The
information in this article is not intended to replace any recommendations or relationship with your
physician.  Please review references sited at end of article for scientific support of any claims made.