What’s another big issue that may be causing your high histamine levels? Stress!
We all have stress in our lives. But it’s our reaction to the stress that determines how our bodies and minds handle that stress. And if we live in a perpetual state of stress without learning how to manage it, that’s what can lead to chronic health conditions including histamine intolerance, autoimmune issues, and digestive disorders.
And did you know that chronic stress can exacerbate your histamine intolerance symptoms. Why?
Stress activates your sympathetic nervous system, the “fight or flight” mode. This system elevates your cortisol, heart rate, and breathing which is great if you’re running from a burglar or trying to get out of a burning building. Your body is now on high alert so you can move fast away from the danger. Because of this stress response, the sympathetic nervous system can also activate your immune system triggering more mast cell issues and the release of more histamine into your bloodstream. This then can cause you to have more allergic reactions and symptoms like hives, rashes, coughing, bloating, headaches, pain, fatigue, etc.
And stress slows digestion. Why? Because you don’t need to stop, eat, and digest when you’re running from a tiger, right? So during stressful circumstances, your body wants to divert energy away from functions it doesn’t need immediately. But if you have high histamine levels, you don’t want your digestion to slow down. You want your digestive system to work properly in order to eliminate the histamine levels so your symptoms will decrease.
What we really want is for our parasympathetic nervous system to be engaged more often. This is when your cortisol, heart rate, and respiration slow down, you feel calm and at peace, and digestion can occur the way it’s supposed to. This allows your body to eliminate toxins like histamines.
As you can see, there is a close relationship between stress and histamine levels. So reducing stress can also help decrease your histamine levels.
What Can You Do to Decrease Your Stress?
Implementing stress management strategies is the most important. You’re always going to have some stress in life. But learning techniques to reduce and manage the stress is key.
Here are a few stress management strategies that will help your body and mind handle stress better:
*Mindset is simply your attitude or set of beliefs in how you handle life and circumstances. If you have a growth mindset and believe you can handle hard things or learn to handle new circumstances, you’ll be able to handle stress with a better attitude.
*Prayer, reading the Bible, and a time of gratitude are keys to learning to be content in life and appreciating all you’ve been blessed with by God. Incorporating these into our lives helps us remember we are not alone in life. The Lord will be with us and give us strength, no matter our health conditions or circumstances.
*Gentle movement or exercise is beneficial for decreasing stress and promoting health. Be sure you don’t exercise too close to bedtime which can decrease your ability to fall asleep. A gentle walk after dinner is fine.
*Get adequate sleep by establishing a regular bedtime routine with softer lighting, less electronics close to bed, and not eating within 2-3 hours of bedtime.
*Nutrition by eating an anti-inflammatory diet most of the time and trying a low histamine diet for a few weeks as a trial.
*Finding time to relax, getting out in nature, and deep breathing for a few minutes each day has been helpful to reduce stress.
*Connection with others, whether that’s friends, family, or volunteering, helps remind us of the importance of serving others and having fun.
As a final note, if you are experiencing severe stress and feel you need a professional, I’d highly recommend you reach out to a counselor or therapist who is trained to help you learn how to cope with the effects of stress.
I hope this information about histamine and stress has been helpful. There are so many factors that may affect your health conditions including histamine levels. And you can read my two other articles about histamines by clicking here for the hidden connection with diet and by clicking here on how histamines may cause your gastrointestinal issues. So pick one of the above ideas to help with your stress and see if it is beneficial. Remember, small steps really do create change and habits.
I am a health coach but also a fellow warrior in this health journey. I have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Epstein Barr Virus, SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), anxiety, and depression and have had symptoms such as brain fog, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, joint pain, fatigue, panic attacks, and weight issues. But I have learned how to help myself using nutrition and lifestyle modifications. And I returned to school to help others as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. I have done advanced training and am also a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. Working primarily with women over 40 who have similar symptoms, I love to help others who are motivated and ready to make a change but need guidance, support, and accountability. I’d love to help you, too. You can schedule a free 20-minute discovery session with me by clicking here.
