What is histamine intolerance?
It's when your body can't break down histamines fast enough and you get a build up of histamines in the body.Your histamine levels build up. And if histamine builds up to a level beyond what the body can handle… that’s when you can get Histamine Intolerance.
This can happen for several reasons.
- Your body might not be making enough of the enzyme DAO (Diamine Oxidase) that breaks down histamine. (taking a DAO supplement is very helpful)
- you might be getting triggered so often that your histamine levels can't go down fast enough.
- high histamine foods
Here are the symptoms of histamine intolerance.
- Itching or Hives
- Rashes
- Flushing
- Acid Reflux/Heartburn
- Asthma
- Congestion
- Postnasal drip
- Headaches and migraines
- Diarrhea
- Bloating
- Gas
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Period pains
- Sleep problems
- Heart palpitations
- Low blood pressure
Doctors will often prescribe you antihistamines for any kind of histamine issue. But if you have histamine intolerance, antihistamines are the last thing you want to do. Histamine is a neurotransmitter. Your body needs histamine to function. Antihistamines block the production of histamines, therefore your body produces more histamines to counteract the antihistamines. You see the vicious cycle this can cause. Histamines are mainly produced in the gut. A low histamine diet can be extremely helpful. It helps keep the histamine levels lower.