Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is not only a creator of stress, but it also is affected by stress. In our fast paced world today, it may seem impossible to not feel stressed; however, if you have MCAS finding ways to mitigate your stress will help your symptoms to at least calm down if not disappear.

I’ve found there are two types of stress that affect me with MCAS: physical stress and emotional stress.

Physical stress can come from a car accident or a fall, a virus, surgery or overdoing exercise. I have had experiences with all of these, and having a mast cell degranulation in addition to falling down and scraping my knees can feel overwhelming!

My mast cells are only trying to protect me, yet they frequently overdo the protection. I find myself having to manage the cuts and bruises, and then taking a Benadryl or Zyrtec to calm down the nausea and gut issues from the mast cells “helping” me to heal. My cuts heal quicker than my nervous system from the overdose of chemicals that the mast cells release. In this heightened state, my mast cells become more sensitive. Things that usually wouldn’t bother me (foods, smells, heat, exercise) might suddenly trigger symptoms. It’s a feedback loop that’s difficult to get out of.

Chronic stress shifts the immune system toward a more inflammatory pattern which can then yield brain fog, fatigue and GI symptoms. With all of this issues, my sleep is then disrupted, which triggers more mast cell reactivity in my nervous system.

It’s easy to fall into the trap that MCAS is just a physical issue. I’ve found that isn’t entirely true. Emotional stress also needs to be managed to give the body a better chance at being stable and able to withstand physical stress and to not fall into the feedback loop of reactions.

I recently sold my home that I’d lived in for over 30 years, and purchased a new townhome to downsize. The stress of this move showed me how much my emotional state affects my mast cells. I was making lists of everything that needed to get done, and it felt overwhelming. My fear was that I was never going to get everything accomplished and that the house wouldn’t get on the market before the start of summer. All of these scenarios were running in my head, while also recognizing that I needed to find a place to move into. How would I do both things at once? Thankfully, I have good friends, a good therapist and a mother who loves to be a companion looking at new places to live! One day at a time, I was able to get all of this accomplished, even though it took about 6 months from start to finish.

Slowly my body is getting into a calm balance. It has been difficult to get my mast cells to recognize that they don’t need to overprotect me. The best way to show that to them is to have a daily practice of calming exercises.

I learned how important it is for me to continue my Zhineng Qigong practice daily when I have emotional stress occurring. I’ve added a breathing practice, and vagal toning exercises to help calm down my nervous system which also helps to calm mast cell activation. If I can calm down my stress response, my mast cells don’t feel the need to protect me so much, and my capacity to withstand a physical stress is greatly enhanced.

Here’s to a slower and calmer approach to life!