A doctor has warned of a lifelong medical condition that often causes ‘unexplained’ symptoms and can be misdiagnosed as something else entirely. You could be suffering as your body will literally attack itself from the inside and present a range of common and confusing symptoms.
Dr Asif Ahmed, a British GP, claimed this “relatively new condition” is often mistaken for fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue. In a Instagram video, he asked his followers: “Have you got symptoms that no doctor can figure out what’s going on?”
He added: “This new condition is something I think you need to be aware of. It’s a relatively new condition I think lots of people might have but, instead, they’ve been diagnosed with other things. I think it’s massively underdiagnosed.”
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, often shortened to MCAS, is considered a lifelong condition, meaning there is currently no cure. People with MCAS will need to manage their symptoms throughout their lives through medication and trigger avoidance.
Dr Ahmed explained mast cells are “everywhere in the body” and perform an important role alongside the immune system. He said these cells are “constantly checking for allergies” and are prepared to create histamine at a moment’s notice.
This is where the problem lies, as it can cause “lots of nasty symptoms”. Patients with MCAS get triggered easily by things that they aren’t allergic to like certain foods, temperatures or even stress.
The doctor continued: “Because mast cells are everywhere in the body, if you’ve got MCAS you could have almost any symptom. The most common are things like skin writing – a raised red reaction from very minor touches to your skin.”
He added that you could notice pain “all over your body” or start feeling “tired all the time”. This is the reason most MCAS sufferers risk being misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue as the symptoms can appear nearly identical.
Other red flags that could help you tell this apart include:
- heartburn
- reflux
- breathlessness
- palpitations
- dry eyes
- diziness and fainting
He added: “This could explain a lot of unexplained symptoms and it is something I think we need to start taking more seriously. It is a diagnosis and treatment is available.”
