Recognizing Histamine Intolerance: 10 Key Symptoms to Watch For

Are you experiencing a strange combination of symptoms? Are you wondering if you might be suffering from histamine intolerance or a mast cell disorder? While it’s true that histamine issues manifest differently from person to person, there are some signs of histamine intolerance that appear in many cases.

Here are 10 symptoms to watch out for:

1. SKIN ISSUES
   Skin problems are often one of the most common ways people discover they have histamine issues. Hives after eating too many strawberries or other high-histamine foods are a quick indicator that histamine levels are high. Skin rash is another common symptom – for example, after a glass of wine. An allergic response can be acute or chronic. Dealing with chronic itching, skin lesions, or sores (mastocytosis), an excessive reaction to insect stings with slow healing, can all be symptoms due to histamine.
2. INFLAMMATION
   Any type of inflammation can potentially have a connection to histamine. This can manifest as redness and swelling (with or without pain) and may present as enlargement of the liver or spleen, or pain in the liver/spleen/bladder/kidney that doesn’t seem to go away. The 5 classic signs of inflammation are: pain, heat, redness, swelling, and loss of function. When these occur together, you can be fairly sure there’s inflammation.
3. CARDIOVASCULAR SYMPTOMS
   Histamine intolerance can also cause bizarre and random cardiovascular symptoms. For example, tachycardia (fast heart rate), arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), palpitations, sudden drops in blood pressure, and even chest pain. You might also discover unexplained bruises on your body and easy bleeding.
4. BODY REGULATION DIFFICULTIES
   Histamine can also make it difficult for your body to self-regulate and stay in a state of homeostasis. This can lead to episodes of low body temperature, overheating with excessive sweating, and a general sensitivity to hot and cold.
5. CHRONIC PAIN AND MIGRAINE
   Due to the chronic inflammation that accompanies histamine intolerance, you might also suffer from chronic pain. This could occur as bone or joint pain, generalized body pain, specific tissue pain, headaches, and migraines.
6. FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITIES
   Do you suffer from gluten intolerance? Are you sensitive to scented candles, perfumes, gasoline? Those with histamine intolerance don’t agree with a lot of foods or scents/odors. Suffering sensitivities affecting one or all five senses: sensitivity to sunlight, odors, sounds, foods, or medications, and even an excessive reaction to touch. Or excessively swelling in response to a bite or insect sting, and even going into anaphylaxis. Do you have a drug intolerance and even strange and unexplainable reactions to medications?
7. DIGESTIVE ISSUES
   The ways in which histamine can affect the digestive system are numerous: gastrointestinal pain, bloating, persistent diarrhea, chronic constipation, acid reflux/gastroesophageal reflux, nausea, vomiting, ulcers/canker sores, leaky gut, inflammatory bowel disease, malabsorption contributing to vitamin and mineral deficiencies (e.g., iron deficiency or vitamin B12 deficiency – anemia), and more.
8. CHRONIC FATIGUE
   Persistent fatigue, unexplained weakness, shortness of breath, fainting. All these symptoms can accompany histamine intolerance and can make physical exercise difficult or even just climbing a flight of stairs. Brain fatigue can also be caused by histamine issues, with a general feeling of cognitive decline/mental fog.
9. NERVOUS ISSUES
   Some of the strangest symptoms of histamine intolerance have a nervous connection. You might experience numbness or tingling in the face, hands, or feet. Your skin might literally feel like it’s on fire. You might have neuropathic pain without being diabetic. You might have unexplained anxiety or all these symptoms could cause anxiety!
10. HORMONAL PROBLEMS AND IMBALANCES
    Histamine can really mess up your hormones. Thyroid problems are common. Estrogen dominance plays a huge role in histamine issues. Women may have difficult periods with a lot of pain and bleeding. Menopause can also bring about histamine intolerance.

OTHER SYMPTOMS…
You might have immune system issues, swollen lymph nodes, recurring infections, dizziness, ringing in the ears or hearing problems, eye issues, hair loss. If you think you’re experiencing one or more of these symptoms, start keeping a daily journal to note down each symptom. This will help a doctor more easily assess your problem.