How do we treat mast cell activation?
It’s not about the disease, it’s about the terrain.
Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) occurs when the mast cells in your body release too much of the substances inside them at the wrong times. As mast cells are part of your immune system, this is a type of autoimmune disease. Fortunately, we offer professional treatment for this condition at the Centre for Biological Medicine. Contact us today to arrange a consultation and learn more!
About Mast Cell Activation
Mast cells can be found around the blood vessels in your body and in your bone marrow. When you’re exposed to emotions like stress or you feel like you’re in danger, your mast cells respond by releasing substances called mediators. These mediators cause inflammation, and this is designed to help heal your body from infection or injury. The same thing happens when you have an allergic reaction. The mast cells get to work to release these mediators to get rid of the thing that the body is allergic to.
How Mast Cell Activation Can Affect You
If you have mast cell activation, your cells will release meditators too frequently. This can cause issues in almost every system in your body. However, you will find the most commonly affected areas are your nervous system, skin, heart, and gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening depending on the amount of mediators released. Just some of the symptoms you may experience include:
- Sweating
- Flushing
- Running nose
- Sneezing
- Swollen tongue or lips
- Trouble breathing
- Low blood pressure
- Nausea
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Extreme tiredness
- Anaphylactic shock is possible in severe cases, and this is life-threatening as it causes a rapid drop in blood pressure and a weak pulse. This can be a tough condition to diagnose, as many of the symptoms overlap with different conditions.
Treatment for Mast Cell Activation
There’s no cure for MCAS, but there are ways to manage your symptoms. With proper diagnosis and treatment at the Centre for Biological Medicine, your symptoms may be controlled. You can also learn what factors trigger an episode in you, which can help you to avoid them and reduce the episodes that you must deal with on a daily basis.
Individual results can vary; however, getting treatment for MCAS could give you peace of mind and enable you to live a somewhat ‘normal’ life. Your symptoms may not disappear entirely, and you may not be able to stop every episode, but you should be able to greatly reduce the impact it has on you and your everyday life. The sooner you seek treatment for this condition, the sooner you will be able to start feeling better and even a little more back to normal.
Getting Started Get in touch with Dr. Karim Dhanani and the team at the Centre for Biological Medicine if you’d like information on mast cell activation syndrome and the available treatment options. We are proud to use cutting-edge technology in an environmentally safe and focused facility. Contact us today to schedule your consultation and get started!