Mast cell activation syndrome

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:⁣

• Happy as I have diagnosed a very rare disorder.⁣
  
• Happy as in a way, I have managed to provide closure to a mother that was looking for answers.⁣
• Happy because now there is a plan of treatment that should improve symptoms and quality of life.⁣
• Sad also because of having diagnosed a rare disorder that has so many complications associated and makes such a young child suffer so much and, with it, parents as well!⁣

Many of you have never heard of 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 or, in fact, all other mast cell disorders that exist.⁣

𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 are an important part of our immune system, and we could not survive without them.⁣



















It is thought the way this line of cells has evolved was mainly to fight against invasion and proliferation of 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 in the human gut.⁣

• It leads to significant histamine release, which originated from abdominal pain, cramps, and diarrhoea, intending to force the parasites out.⁣
  

Now it works as the main mediator for allergic diseases but also to fight infections.⁣

Only recently (around 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟕) it has been named a known disorder and, due to that, its incidence and other epidemiological information are really not known.⁣

• As with other Mast Cell Disorders, it is believed it goes highly undiagnosed. The reason being, not many are aware of its symptoms or even how to investigate appropriately.⁣
  

As a rough idea Mastocytosis (another Mast Cell disorder) is thought to affect between 𝟓 𝐭𝐨 𝟏𝟎 cases per 1 million world population per year.⁣

• In this case, it affects more children (around 𝟔𝟓%) than adults (around 𝟑𝟓%).⁣
  
• It affects both genders more or less equally.⁣
• Some say it affects more white people from northwestern Europe.⁣

As 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘺𝘵𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘴 is more common than 𝘔𝘊𝘈𝘚, we can only imagine how many cases are diagnosed worldwide per year.⁣ The rest of the data might be comparable, but it is not truly known.⁣

Treatment is focused on a decrease of symptoms and trying to prevent as many 𝘈𝘯𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤 episodes as possible.⁣

Please do remember that MCAS's symptoms overlap with plenty of other conditions, mainly 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐔𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚(𝐂𝐒𝐔) and 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚 (𝐂𝐒𝐀).⁣
Soon I will also talk about this condition, which is fairly frequent.⁣

So, if you believe your child, or someone you know, fits into the signs and symptoms I speak about here, please do ask for a referral to either a 𝐏𝐚𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭 or an 𝐀𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭.

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