Mast cell activation syndrome is a rare disease that affects the immune system, leading to the emergence of allergy symptoms that affect more than one organ system, especially the skin and the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Thus, the person may have allergy symptoms on the skin, such as redness and itching, as well as nausea and vomiting, for example.
These symptoms arise because the cells responsible for regulating allergy situations, mast cells, are exaggeratedly activated due to factors that would not normally cause allergy, such as someone else's smell, cigarette smoke or kitchen vapors. That way, it can appear that the person is allergic to almost everything.
Although there is still no cure, the symptoms can be controlled with treatment, which usually includes the use of antiallergic drugs and immune system depressants. However, as the severity of symptoms varies from person to person, treatment needs to be adapted to each case.
Main symptoms
Normally, this syndrome affects two or more systems of the body, so the symptoms can vary from case to case, according to the affected organs:
- Skin: hives, redness, swelling and itching; Cardiovascular: marked decrease in blood pressure, feeling faint and increase in heart rate; Gastrointestinal: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps; Respiratory: stuffy nose, runny nose and wheezing.
When there is a more pronounced reaction, symptoms of anaphylactic shock may also appear, such as difficulty in breathing, feeling of a ball in the throat and intense sweating. This is an urgent situation that should be treated as soon as possible in the hospital, even if treatment for the syndrome is already underway. Learn more about the signs of anaphylactic shock and what to do.
How the treatment is done
The treatment for mast cell activation syndrome is done to relieve symptoms and prevent them from appearing so often and, therefore, must be adapted according to each person. However, in most cases, it is started with the use of antiallergens as
In addition, it is also very important that the person tries to avoid the factors that they have already identified as causing allergy, because even when taking the medication, the symptoms can appear when you are exposed for a long time.
In cases where the symptoms are more severe, the doctor may also prescribe the intake of medications that reduce the action of the immune system, such as Omalizumab, thus preventing mast cells from being activated so easily.
