Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a common condition that can cause widespread pain in the body as well as allergy symptoms like hives, itchy skin, and congestion. MCAS is hard for doctors to diagnose for a few reasons. The main reason is that it is an under researched condition despite its commonality. Doctors are only recently starting to understand just how common MCAS is, and how important it is to study it.
MCAS has a lot of symptoms that aren’t frequently associated with each other. In fact, MCAS symptoms can occur all over the body, for example, the skin (hives), the gastrointestinal system (stomach pain), the cardiovascular system, or the respiratory system. With these seemingly unrelated symptoms, MCAS presents as a confusing condition to those who are unfamiliar with it. It is a condition that may even require multiple experts to treat due to its vast range of symptoms.
Thankfully, more and more primary care providers are learning about this common condition that may affect up to 17% of the general population, as research has been expanding greatly in the past decade. More treatment options are currently being developed in the clinical trials stage. If you have MCAS, or think you might, we encourage you to learn more about a clinical trial opportunity we currently have in our clinic.
Filed under: back pain posts • pain management • pain medications
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