If you react badly to mozzie bites, then you’ve probably taken anti-histamines to relieve the swelling and itching.
But what is histamine anyway? And what are the symptoms of a histamine release at night?
Histamine’s role in your body
Histamine is found in many foods but it’s also a chemical your body produces. It performs a few important functions, including:
- Helping your immune system respond to allergy triggers
- Triggering a pain response when your body is harmed
- Widening your blood vessels to increase blood flow
- Increasing stomach acid production to maintain typical acidity
- Helping produce mucus in your airways – and increasing it to help capture allergens
- Tightening the muscles in your airways to restrict airflow in and out of your lungs.
So, if histamine is so useful, what’s the problem with it?
The problem with high histamine levels
If you’re intolerant to histamine, your body is not able to break down histamine properly, due to the absence of an enzyme called diamine oxidase (DAO).
When histamine builds up in your body, you may experience uncomfortable symptoms like:
- Gastrointestinal issues – diarrhoea, bloating, nausea, vomiting
- Headaches or migraines
- Low blood pressure or an irregular or fast heart rate
- Painful periods
- Eczema
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Feeling short of breath
- Swelling of your lips, tongue or throat.
Then there’s sleep…
The influence of histamine levels at night
Eventually, your body may release the excess histamine into your bloodstream. These releases often happen late at night or early in the morning, potentially compromising your sleep.
Perhaps you’ve noticed that your allergy symptoms get worse at night? Symptoms of a histamine release at night include:
- Changes in body temperature
- Itchy skin
- Blood pressure changes
Histamine regulates sleep-wake cycles meaning that a histamine release at night can mean you wake up far earlier than you’d like to. When your sleep is regularly compromised, you begin to feel worn down and tired. That can affect many different aspects of your life.
Common triggers for nighttime histamine release
One of the best ways to avoid a nighttime histamine release is to significantly reduce the amount of histamine in your system.
You can do that by:
- Identifying if you have a histamine intolerance
- Managing any allergies well
- Lowering your stress levels – histamine is released in response to stress
- Eating a low-histamine diet.
How can ImuPro help?
Our tests enable you to find out if you have histamine intolerance. That’s vital knowledge. Once you know, you can make the appropriate changes to your diet and lifestyle to ease your symptoms and get a good night’s sleep.
Disclaimer
*All information is general and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice.
References
- Healthline, Histamine: What is it and what does it do? https://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/what-is-histamine#definition, [Accessed 7 February 2024]
- Allergy UK, Histamine intolerance, https://www.allergyuk.org/resources/histamine-intolerance/, [Accessed 7 February 2024]
- Cleveland Clinic, Histamine intolerance, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/histamine-intolerance, [Accessed 7 February 2024]
- American Institute of Stress, When stress gives you hives, https://www.stress.org/what-to-do-when-stress-gives-you-hives, [Accessed 7 February 2024]