Mast Cell Activation Syndrome
Coeliac Disease or Wheat Allergy?
20/01/2021
Egg Ladder
02/02/2021Mast 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.
