Post by kolt on Jun 18, 2024 9:31:52 GMT
(Unsure where to put this as it’s Long Covid related but I couldn’t see a specific place for general ‘post-Covid’ medical stuff.)
Many people don’t immediately assume or know they have issues stemming from overactive or densely packed mast cells. Mast cell disorders (MCD) show in everyone differently. Even if you don’t think you have MCD, it’s probably good to learn a bit about mast cells, because they serve a lot of different functions in our bodies. (And can affect us all a little more than usual when we’re already unwell.)
You don’t ‘need’ to have certain symptoms to have MCD. MCD can contribute to overall health issues, like skin, muscle and joint pain, random itchiness and eczema, GI issues (‘IBS’ may be entirely MCD, reflux), as well as feedback loops with other chronic illnesses like POTS. And that’s only touching on a pinch of MCD’s symptoms and what it can contribute to.
Here are a couple of foundational resources that are great places to start in understanding MCD, and how to determine what you might need.
The online mast cell ‘bible’
Mast Attack
This site is very comprehensive, and may be overwhelming at first. It’s a great place to learn about mast cell disorders (MCD), how to discuss it with medical practitioners, carers etc.
Food list by Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI)
SIGHI food list
This is a great resource to learn how different foods contribute to MCD symptoms. It’s a very comprehensive list that can help to figure out the foods and additives that affect you most (for example, the ones you definitely need to avoid vs the ones you can eat occasionally with an antihistamine).
Hoping to add more links over time, I just wanted to get a mast cell thread started!
Feel free to add other mast cell specific resources too!
Many people don’t immediately assume or know they have issues stemming from overactive or densely packed mast cells. Mast cell disorders (MCD) show in everyone differently. Even if you don’t think you have MCD, it’s probably good to learn a bit about mast cells, because they serve a lot of different functions in our bodies. (And can affect us all a little more than usual when we’re already unwell.)
You don’t ‘need’ to have certain symptoms to have MCD. MCD can contribute to overall health issues, like skin, muscle and joint pain, random itchiness and eczema, GI issues (‘IBS’ may be entirely MCD, reflux), as well as feedback loops with other chronic illnesses like POTS. And that’s only touching on a pinch of MCD’s symptoms and what it can contribute to.
Here are a couple of foundational resources that are great places to start in understanding MCD, and how to determine what you might need.
The online mast cell ‘bible’
Mast Attack
This site is very comprehensive, and may be overwhelming at first. It’s a great place to learn about mast cell disorders (MCD), how to discuss it with medical practitioners, carers etc.
Food list by Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI)
SIGHI food list
This is a great resource to learn how different foods contribute to MCD symptoms. It’s a very comprehensive list that can help to figure out the foods and additives that affect you most (for example, the ones you definitely need to avoid vs the ones you can eat occasionally with an antihistamine).
Hoping to add more links over time, I just wanted to get a mast cell thread started!
Feel free to add other mast cell specific resources too!