What is Histamine?
Histamine is a natural chemical compound produced by your body. It plays essential roles in your immune system, digestion, and nervous system. It’s often associated with allergic reactions but also has other important functions:
→ Immune System: Histamine is released by immune cells (mast cells and basophils) during allergic reactions and inflammatory responses.
→ Digestive System: It stimulates stomach acid production to help digest food.
→ Nervous System: Histamine acts as a neurotransmitter, affecting alertness, sleep-wake cycles, and other brain functions.
What is the "Histamine, Whole Blood" Test?
This test measures the amount of histamine circulating in your bloodstream. It is often used to evaluate:
→ Allergic Reactions: Diagnosing and monitoring severe allergic responses, including anaphylaxis.
→ Mast Cell Disorders: Identifying conditions like mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) or mastocytosis.
→ Methylation Status: Histamine levels may indicate how well your body performs a chemical process called methylation. Elevated histamine suggests under-methylation, while low levels may indicate over-methylation.
Key Takeaways:
→ What does elevated histamine mean? Elevated histamine levels may indicate allergies, mast cell disorders, or under-methylation.
→ What are symptoms of high histamine? Common symptoms include hives, itching, headaches, and digestive issues.
→ How to lower histamine levels? Consider antihistamines, a low-histamine diet, and addressing triggers like allergens or inflammation.
By working with your healthcare provider, you can better understand and address elevated histamine levels, leading to improved health and symptom management.
References:
1. "Two major pathways metabolize most (>97%) of the synthesized histamine, histamine-N-methyltransferase (50 to 80%) and diamine oxidase (15 to 30%) and only 2 to 3% is excreted unchanged"[1].
2. "Modulation of histamine's effect occurs through four types of receptors: H1, H2, H3, and H4. Histamine receptors are G-protein coupled receptors, which are 7-transmembrane chain proteins that mediate the effect of several molecules"[1].
3. "Activation of H4 receptors by histamine stimulates the synthesis of IL-4 and IL-5 in human cord blood mast cells and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in bone marrow-derived murine mast cells (BMMCs), both of which have a potential role in inducing allergic inflammation"[2][3].
4. "In mice, deletion of H1R leads to the release of Th2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-13) and inhibition of IFN-γ"[2][3].
5. "Knockdown of H2R −/− mice show impaired immune functions, gastric acid secretion, and cognitive function associated with hippocampal potentiation impairments and nociception abnormalities"[2][3].
6. "Histamine (2-[3H-imidazol-4-yl]ethanamine) is an important chemical mediator that causes vasodilation and increased vascular permeability and may even contribute to anaphylactic reactions"[4].
7. "Within the gastrointestinal tract, histamine is present at relatively high concentrations, particularly during inflammatory responses"[5].
Links:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557790/
[2] https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2018.01873/full
[3] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6099187/
[4] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6129797/
[5] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/all.12330
[6] https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2021.680214/full
[7] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-44477-4
[8] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2018/9524075
Histamine plays a crucial role in your immune, digestive, and nervous systems. While not a routine test, measuring histamine levels can provide important insights and aid in diagnosing conditions such as:
- Severe Allergic Reactions (e.g., anaphylaxis)
- Mast Cell Disorders like mastocytosis or mast cell activation syndrome
- Methylation Imbalances, which affect mental health and metabolic processes
- Certain Psychiatric or Behavioral Conditions, such as OCD or anxiety disorders
What Does an Elevated Histamine Level Mean?
High histamine levels may indicate:
- Allergic Reactions: Histamine release can result from seasonal allergies, food allergies, or insect bites.
- Mast Cell Disorders: Conditions like mastocytosis or mast cell activation syndrome cause excessive histamine production.
- Under-Methylation: High histamine can reflect poor methylation, linked to depression, OCD, or perfectionism.
- Inflammation or Infections: Chronic inflammation or infections can trigger histamine release as part of the immune response.
Symptoms of Elevated Histamine
- Flushing or skin redness
- Hives or itching
- Digestive issues (e.g., nausea, diarrhea)
- Headaches or migraines
- Low blood pressure or dizziness
How to Lower Histamine Levels
Reducing histamine levels involves managing triggers, diet, and underlying conditions. Always consult your healthcare provider for a personalized plan.
1. Identify and Avoid Triggers
- Allergens: Limit exposure to pollen, dust, mold, or other known allergens.
- Histamine-Rich Foods: Avoid fermented foods, aged cheeses, cured meats, alcohol, and vinegar-based products.
- Histamine-Releasing Foods: Citrus fruits, strawberries, and chocolate can provoke histamine release even if they don’t contain much histamine.
2. Use Antihistamine Medications
- H1 Antihistamines: Block histamine in tissues (e.g., loratadine, cetirizine).
- H2 Antihistamines: Reduce stomach acid and help with digestive symptoms (e.g., famotidine).
3. Optimize Gut Health
- Probiotics: Choose strains that do not produce histamine, such as Bifidobacterium infantis. Avoid strains like Lactobacillus casei.
- Low-FODMAP Diet: This can help reduce inflammation and histamine intolerance in sensitive individuals.
4. Take Targeted Supplements
- DAO Enzyme Supplements: Support histamine breakdown in the gut.
- Vitamin C: Acts as a natural antihistamine. Found in foods like bell peppers and citrus fruits.
- Vitamin B6: Supports DAO activity. Found in poultry, fish, and bananas.
- Magnesium: May help reduce histamine release. Found in nuts, seeds, and leafy greens.
5. Manage Stress
Stress can increase histamine release. Stress-reduction techniques include:
- Deep breathing exercises
- Yoga or meditation
- Regular exercise
6. Address Underlying Conditions
Elevated histamine levels are often linked to underlying health issues. Work with your doctor to:
- Manage allergies with medications or immunotherapy.
- Treat infections or chronic inflammation.
- Investigate and address methylation imbalances.
7. Stay Hydrated
Proper hydration supports kidney function, helping your body eliminate excess histamine.
Key Takeaways
Histamine testing provides vital information about your body’s immune and metabolic balance. High histamine levels may signal allergies, mast cell issues, or methylation imbalances. To lower histamine:
- Avoid high-histamine foods and allergens.
- Use antihistamines or DAO supplements if necessary.
- Focus on gut health, stress management, and hydration.
Always consult a healthcare provider for an individualized approach to managing elevated histamine levels.
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Healthmatters is a personal health dashboard that helps you organize and understand your lab results. It collects and displays your medical test data from any lab in one secure, easy-to-use platform.
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You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.
If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.
While we work with many popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too.
It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters and we can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.
If you're on the hunt for a specific biomarker, contact us and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account.
The Complete Plan ($15/month) is perfect for individuals who want ongoing access to their health data. It includes unlimited lab imports, visual tracking, custom ranges, result explanations, full account exports, and secure sharing — all with a simple monthly subscription. You can cancel anytime and restart your plan whenever you're ready — your data will still be there waiting for you. You can also upgrade to the Unlimited Plan at any time, with the cost prorated based on what you've already paid.
The Unlimited Plan ($250 one-time) is also designed for individuals but offers lifetime access with no ongoing subscription. You'll get all the same features as the Complete Plan, plus a larger initial data entry allowance (10 reports), making it a great choice if you prefer a one-time payment and long-term use without monthly fees.
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There are two ways to add your test reports to your Healthmatters account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."
Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.
For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you.
We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.
Our Data Entry Service is for when you don't want to manually type in your lab results yourself. You simply upload your report (PDF, image, or screenshot), and our trained team enters the information into your Healthmatters account for you — accurately and neatly organized, ready to view in graphs, tables, and timelines.
The $15 per report covers the time and care it takes for a real person to review your file, make sure each result is entered correctly, and double-check for accuracy. This ensures your health data is precise and easy to work with — without you having to spend the time doing it yourself.
Prefer to do it yourself? You can always use our free self-entry tool to add results manually — it just takes a bit more time and attention.
For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.
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All professional accounts allow you to import and onboard an unlimited number of clients and their lab results. The distinction between professional plans lies solely in the data entry service.
The Pro Monthly Plus plan is priced at $75 per month and includes a data entry service for five reports each month. Additional reports can be self-entered at no extra cost or, if preferred, you can use our data entry service for an additional fee of $15 per report.
The Pro Monthly plan is priced at $45 per month and does not include a data entry service. Self-entry is free for an unlimited number of reports, and you can opt for the data entry service at a fee of $15 per report.
You also have the option to upgrade to higher monthly or to annual plans, which come with substantial discounts. All upgrades can be done directly from your account.
Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.
Our goal has been to make your Healthmatters account as intuitive as possible.
We've crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into your historical test reports.
1. Graph View:Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.
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Yes, you can download your information anytime. We offer two easy ways to export your lab data:
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Yes, you can! We highly recommend activating Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your account. To do so, please navigate to the "Profile and Security" section of your account, where you will find instructions for activating 2FA.
Yes, you can. When entering values for the biomarker, you will see an "Edit Range" button. Click this button, and you'll have the option to enter a custom range.
A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.
The professional account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.
To learn more about Healthmatters Pro, please refer to the professional page.
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Optimal Result:
180 - 1800 nmol/L.