히스타민 증후군, 음식 불내성, 부신 피로 동반 환자 2예

Abstract

Histamine is known as a substance that causes allergies and anaphylaxis, but, in fact, it is a kind of inflammatory cytokine which is involved in immune and inflammatory responses that protect from external materials, such as dust, parasites, and bacteria. Histamine mainly plays a role in physically washing or sterilizing these substances through vasodilation, increasing mucus secretion and expectoration, smooth muscle contraction, and gastric acid secretion. In addition, histamine has central nervous system effects such as arousal and memory, because it is necessary to remember and avoid harmful exposures. Like other cytokines, histamine must be produced, released, and degraded in a balance for proper action. When this balance is broken, various non-specific symptoms from histamine excess, such as rhinitis, urticarial, itching sense, abdominal cramp, diarrhea, epigastric burning, chronic cough, headache, dizziness, edema, insomnia, nervousness, and irritability can be appeared. It is defined as “histamine imbalance” in functional medicine, and some researchers are called it as “histamine syndrome”. This complexity of symptoms often complicates accurate diagnosis, leading to partial or symptomatic treatments. Consequently, histamine syndrome can escalate healthcare burden and decrease quality of life. An integrative and functional medicine approach is important due to this situation. Moreover, histamine syndrome often coexists with food intolerance and adrenal fatigue (functional adrenal insufficiency), necessitating a comprehensive approach that addresses all these aspects simultaneously. In this report, we present two cases of patients with histamine syndrome, accompanied by food intolerance and adrenal fatigue, to explore appropriate directions for functional medicine diagnosis and treatment strategies.