Are you having a lot of histamine symptoms? Maybe you have itchy dry skin, post-nasal drip, ongoing cough, acid reflux. Lots of histamine symptoms can mask different things, and so in this video we're going to look at the difference between mast cell activation syndrome versus histamine intolerance. We'll look at the similarities and differences, and some of the things you can do about histamine intolerance and high histamine in general.
In this video we're going to look at mast cell activation syndrome versus histamine intolerance. Mast cell activation syndrome isn't the same as histamine intolerance, but they are often confused or used together. Both are definitely a problem with too much histamine, and because of this it can present with similar symptoms and often can be used interchangeably because of those symptoms.
Mast cell activation syndrome is a complex and often underdiagnosed condition characterized by abnormal release of mast cell mediators, including things like histamine, and it leads to a wide range of ongoing and varying severity symptoms which can affect different parts of the body, ranging from digestive to lungs to skin.
With mast cell activation syndrome, mast cells are overactive and hypersensitive to various triggers, and once triggered they release inflammatory and immune mediators. And in people with mast cell activation syndrome, compared to normal people, they have a lot more triggers, and when they do have a trigger the response is more intense than would typically be expected.
On the other hand, histamine intolerance is a condition characterized by an inability or poor ability to metabolize or break down histamine. This can lead to an accumulation or excess of histamine in the body. And there's a few different ways that those enzymes in the body, or the breakdown, occurs.
The enzyme in the digestive tract most commonly associated with histamine intolerance is called diamine oxidase, or DAO. When you don't make enough of that DAO, or diamine oxidase, it is typically more of a genetic or inborn issue. The main job of that diamine oxidase is to break down the histamine that's already contained within the food, and it can be taken as a supplement when you have the genetics for low DAO production. Sometimes people take it just empirically because they think they might have this genetic alteration.
The other major enzyme that breaks down histamine in our bodies is HNMT, also known as histamine N-methyltransferase. This enzyme requires methylation, and SAMe specifically, in order for it to work properly. Of course HNMT, just like DAO, is under genetic controls, and some people don't have well-functioning HNMT enzymes. And of course there are methylation SNPs and problems that can be a problem as well, leading to not enough SAMe, which is the main cofactor for HNMT.
So there's lots of reasons, and these are just a few of the more common reasons, why someone might have histamine intolerance, meaning inability or poor ability to break down that histamine once it gets released or once it's in the body from foods.
In simple cases of too much histamine or poor breakdown, adding some support to these enzymes, or decreasing the amount of histamine coming into the body, can be very helpful. The simple cases though usually resolve on their own anyways. You don't really end up having a lot of issues ongoing.
So it's important, if you do have symptoms of high histamine, to differentiate between mast cell activation syndrome and histamine intolerance, and also mast cell activation without it being an actual syndrome, just a local mast cell activation.
It's also important to note that sometimes taking support for histamine breakdown and elimination can actually make things worse before it gets better. So if you're super sensitive you should be very cautious about what you take and how you take it. But looking at the overall histamine levels in the foods you're eating and reducing that is generally going to be a safe bet for anyone that's struggling with histamine symptoms.
If histamine symptoms have been an ongoing struggle and you're not sure which of these is going on, schedule an appointment and we can work through it together.
Topics: Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Histamine Intolerance, MCAS, DAO Enzyme, Methylation, Histamine, Allergies