Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) What You Need to Know

Admin
Oct 21, 2024
4 min read

Have you ever heard of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)? If not, you're not alone. This condition might not be a household name, but it's something that significantly affects the lives of those who have it. Let's break down what MCAS is, its symptoms, causes, and how to manage it.

So, What Exactly is MCAS?

MCAS is an immune disorder where mast cells become overactive and malfunction, releasing excessive inflammatory chemicals in response to triggers that generally would not cause a reaction Normally, mast cells help protect you by releasing these chemicals during allergic reactions or infections. But with MCAS, they release these chemicals too often and too easily, leading to chronic symptoms that can be very frustrating.

The Many Faces of MCAS Symptoms

One of the trickiest things about MCAS is that it can cause a wide range of symptoms, making it hard to pin down.1 These symptoms can effect different parts of your body, including your skin, gut, heart, and lungs. Here are some of the common ones:

Skin Issues

Itching: Constant itching without a clear reason.
Hives: Those annoying raised, red, itchy spots.
Flushing: Sudden redness and warmth in your skin.

Gut Problems

IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome) 2
Nausea: Feeling queasy.
Vomiting: Throwing up.
Diarrhoea: Frequent trips to the bathroom.
Abdominal Pain: Persistent stomach aches.

Heart and Blood Vessel

Low Blood Pressure: Making you feel dizzy or faint.
Rapid Heartbeat: Feeling like your heart is racing.

Breathing Troubles

Wheezing: That whistling sound when you breathe.
Shortness of Breath: Finding it hard to catch your breath.

Other symptoms

Fatigue: Being exhausted all the time.
Brain Fog: Struggling with memory, focus, and concentration.

Other Chronic conditions

In a online study carried out in 2021, adults were recruited for online assessment of symptoms before and after COVID-19. Questions included presence and severity of known MCA (mast cell activation) and LC (long covid) symptoms. It also assessed fatigue and quality of life of those who never had overt COVID-19 symptoms. Based upon symptom assessments between groups and controls, results indicated that mast cell activation symptoms were increased in those experiencing long-COVID-19 illness and corresponded with the symptoms and severity experienced by patients with MCAS.3

What Triggers MCAS?

The exact cause of MCAS is still a bit of a mystery, but it's thought to be a mix of genetic and environmental factors. Various things can trigger mast cells, such as:

Foods: Some foods like alcohol, spicy foods, and aged cheeses.
Medications: Certain meds, including NSAIDs and opioids.
Environmental Factors: Changes in temperature, stress, and strong smells.

The triggers and causes of MCAS vary from person to person, and the condition can have multiple contributing factors. Identifying the underlying causes of MCAS is essential for developing an effective treatment plan.

Is your nervous system effected?

When you're dealing with MCAS, your body is stuck in a state of constant high alert. Your mast cells are overreacting to everything around you as if it's a threat, triggering a cascade of inflammatory symptoms. So whilst addressing the root causes of MCAS (like gut issues, infections, or environmental toxins) is crucial, if your nervous system is still stuck in a hypervigilant state, your mast cells will continue to misbehave.

By targeting your parasympathetic nervous system, vagal nerve, and limbic system, you can help your body shift out of that "danger mode" and into a state of calm and safety.

Getting Diagnosed

Diagnosing MCAS can be like solving a complex puzzle because of its wide-ranging symptoms. Doctors usually rely on a combination of your medical history, symptom checklists, and specific tests. These might include:

Blood Tests: To check levels of mast cell mediators.
Urine Tests: To detect these mediators.
Skin Biopsy: To look at mast cells in your skin

Managing MCAS

You can definitely manage the symptoms and improve your quality of life. Here are some tips to try out:

Dietary Changes: Identifying and avoiding trigger foods can be a game-changer, as well as including anti-inflammatory foods such as onions, turmeric, nettles, ginger, moringa, and dietary fibre.:4 Also adopting a low histamine diet.5
Optimal vitamin D levels.6
Natural antihistamines, such as quercetin, nettles and bromelain, have been found to inhibit mast cell activation and reduce histamine release.
Supplements like vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids, nettles, quercetin, turmeric and ginger have anti-inflammatory properties that can help alleviate symptoms associated with mast cell disorder.
Stress Management: Techniques like meditation, yoga, and deep breathing can help keep stress, a common trigger, in check.
Environmental Control: Reducing exposure to triggers like strong perfumes and extreme temperatures can make a big difference.