Histamine intolerance

Introduction

Histamine intolerance, also known as histamine intolerance, is an intolerance to histamine, a specific food component. It is suspected that histamine intolerance is not a congenital disorder, but rather arises in the course of life from as yet unknown causes. Scientifically, the intolerance to histamine is controversial.

Thus, the mechanism of the development of this intolerance is as yet unexplained. However, there are some scientific theories on the subject. It is assumed that a histamine intolerance is not a classical food allergy, but a disturbed breakdown of histamine.

What is histamine?

Histamine is absorbed by humans through certain foods. Different foods differ in their histamine content. After the histamine has been absorbed, it is absorbed together with the other food components through the intestines and is then converted into other substances by enzymes.

This breakdown of histamine is disturbed in the case of histamine intolerance. This explains why affected persons feel discomfort especially after eating food with a high histamine content. The therapy of histamine intolerance consists of avoiding foods with a high histamine content.

Histamine is a substance that occurs naturally in the body and in a number of different foods. In the body, histamine is used as a so-called neurotransmitter for important processes in the transmission of information. Histamine also plays an important role in the defence function of the immune system as well as in the production of gastric acid and digestion. Histamine is also responsible for opening small vessels and has positive effects on the heart. For this reason, a certain amount of histamine in the body is essential for everyone.

Symptoms

The symptoms of histamine intolerance occur mainly after eating histamine-containing food and can be manifold and individually very different. However, there are typical symptoms that accompany the disease. In the foreground are especially symptoms that affect the skin.

This is related to the fact that histamine is involved in inflammatory reactions and the dilatation of small vessels, among other tasks in the body. This results in a so-called “flush symptomatology” with a reddening of the face and chest area as well as possible skin problems. These include reddening of the skin (especially in the face and breast area), hives, rashes and itching.

Very common are also general complaints such as tiredness and headaches. Other symptoms include complaints of the gastrointestinal tract (abdominal pain, digestive problems, nausea). In severe cases there may be problems with breathing, often with a “runny nose” or sore throat.

Water retention, heart and blood pressure disorders, confusion or sleep disturbances can also occur. Typically, the symptoms occur after consumption of certain histamine-containing foods, such as tomatoes. Therefore, the term tomato allergy is also known.

• These symptoms indicate a histamine intolerance
• Tomato Allergy

Diarrhea is a classic symptom of histamine intolerance. The increased level of histamine in the body leads to a contraction of the muscles in the gastrointestinal tract. On the one hand, this leads to stomach cramps.

On the other hand, the stool is transported much faster through the intestines and not enough liquid can be absorbed. This then leads to diarrhea. The symptoms at the eyes are not so typical for histamine intolerance, such as skin rashes.

Nevertheless, reactions to the intake of histamine can also occur in the eye region. This can lead to water retention in the eyelids, causing them to swell and possibly prevent eyelid closure. Furthermore, the intake of histamine can lead to conjunctivitis.

Conjunctivitis is characterized by redness and itching of the eye. In addition, there is an increased production of tears. Conjunctivitis is initially triggered solely by the reaction to histamine. In the course of time, an infection with bacteria, for example, can also occur. The conjunctivitis can then develop into a purulent infection, which should be treated by a doctor to avoid secondary damage.