Common Symptoms Of Mastocytosis

Diarrhea

Mastocytosis patients can experience an accumulation of mast cells in the mucosa of their digestive system. Individuals who have mastocytosis-precipitated diarrhea tend to have mast cell buildup in the small and large intestine where most of the nutrient and fluid absorption is meant to occur. The linings of the small and large intestines are specially formulated to provide a large amount of surface area to maximize the absorption of nutrients and fluids. When any mechanism interferes with the function of the intestinal linings physically and or chemically, these components of the consumed food are not absorbed. Mast cells that accumulate in the small intestine impair the ability to absorb nutrients, allowing the gut bacteria to digest and use the food for their benefit. This causes an overgrowth of the gut flora, which can produce inflammation and diarrhea. Mast cells that accumulate in the large intestine can interfere with its ability to absorb enough fluid from the digested food before it is eliminated from the body, which also causes diarrhea.

Learn more about the different symptoms indicative of mastocytosis now.

Anaphylaxis

Individuals affected by mastocytosis are more likely to have a severe allergic reaction because of the large number of mast cells in their bloodstream. When the mast cells are triggered by an allergen, they release large amounts of histamine in the patient's blood. This massive release of histamine is known to produce severe and life-threatening symptoms, including extremely itchy skin, abdominal pain, narrowing of the airways, wheezing, problems with breathing, dizziness, lightheadedness, swollen eyes, swollen lips, swollen feet, clammy skin, loss of consciousness, confusion, anxiety, rapid heartbeat, raised red rash, and swollen hands. Certain allergens are more common as triggers for anaphylactic episodes in mastocytosis patients. While food-related and drug-related reactions are less common, those caused by bee and wasp stings tend to be more prevalent.