ltipton
Junior Member
Posts: 11
Joined: Sep 2006
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Wednesday August 06, 2008 1:04 PM
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It may sound like a "wierd assed condition" to you, because not very much is known about the mechanism of the mast cell. It's the mast cell that releases a mediator called Leukotreines, which is the cause of asthma. If you really take a look at the cellular mechanism that is the cause of asthma, it becomes much simpler to understand.
It is entirely possible for a claimant to have a Mast Cell Activation Disorder and react to triggers of stress, heat, or cold, in addition to all of the "normal" triggers that a person might react to (foods, pollen, dander, etc.). MCAD is a subclassification of the rare disease Mastocytosis. There is currently no cure, but there is treatment that is effective for most patients. More information can be found at www.tmsforacure.org.
Unfortunately, most doctors have never seen a case of Mastocytosis, let alone a case of MCAD. If a patient presents with symptoms classic to the disorder, they are often diagnosed and treated body part by part, or specialty by specialty, not realizing that all symptoms might be linked to one disease. It is not a simple disease to diagnose, and has no clear diagnostic path. Rather, a process of elimination is the process of diagnosis. In some cases, if the medications (Mast Cell Stabilizers) work, a clinical diagnosis is made.
Some of the symptoms that a patient with Mast Cell Disease might suffer are: GI problems, debilitating fatigue, dizziness/vertigo, cognitive difficulty, high or low blood pressure, tachycardia, bone/muscle pain, life threatening anaphylaxis/shocking, migraines, ocular migraines, dry eye, roseacea/flushing, hair loss, hypersensitivity to odors, heat, cold, sunlight, faintness. There is much more information on The Mastocytosis Society Website, in addition.
I talk to people pretty frequently that are well past what would be considered normal allergic reactions to known or unknown triggers. I personally believe that the condition is currently under-diagnosed due to lack of research and information, and regarded much like fibromyalgia was in the 1980's. I hope that we'll all learn much more about it in the future as the mystery of the mast cell is unlocked.
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