Can histamine intolerance be triggered by stress? | Histamine intolerance

Can histamine intolerance be triggered by stress?

It is rather unlikely that a histamine intolerance is triggered by stress alone. It is known that stress releases the body’s own histamine. However, these are rather small amounts, which should normally not trigger any symptoms.

However, stress can be a reinforcing component. The cause of histamine intolerance is the insufficient presence of the enzyme diaminooxidase (DAO). This deficiency is based on a metabolic disorder and cannot be caused by stress. However, if people with a deficiency of this enzyme take histamine, it cannot be sufficiently broken down and symptoms can develop due to the high concentration of histamine. In this situation, stress can have a reinforcing effect, as it leads to a further release of histamine.

What do you have to consider when doing sports?

During sports, the body gets into a stress reaction, especially when overexerted. This causes the body’s own histamine to be released. By dilating the blood vessels, the histamine can spread well and possibly lead to symptoms.

On the other hand, sport helps to reduce everyday stress and has a positive effect on the entire body. Therefore, one should not abstain from sports, but simply make sure to avoid great overexertion. How much sport the body tolerates varies greatly from person to person and must be tried out.

Test for histamine intolerance

There are different methods to detect histamine intolerance, but there is no uniform recommendation of a specific test procedure.The tests are best performed in consultation with a doctor. The most common method, and probably the one that involves the least effort, is the so-called elimination diet with, if necessary, the following provocation test. In this test, food with a high histamine content is avoided for some time.

After some time, a provocation, in this case the controlled eating of food containing histamine, can be used to determine whether a histamine intolerance is present. Alternatively, the activity of the enzyme which is normally responsible for the degradation of histamine can be tested. This can be done either by means of a blood test or by examining the small intestine by means of a biopsy. Less meaningful are examinations that examine the stool or urine for histamine or its degradation products. Medical supervision should be available for all tests and careful attention should be paid to whether it is desirable to refrain from using products containing histamine in the chosen test or whether the result may be falsified.