The Link between Concussions and MCAS

This post explores the link between concussions and MCAS, and provides a rundown of the helpful treatments for a concussion.

I never thought much of the concussions I had. I thought that once I no longer felt the effects of a concussion it was healed and over. But the more I’ve read about concussions the more surprised I’ve become about how concussion symptoms can persist forever. I have also been blown away by learning that there is a link between concussions and MCAS.

I’ve had at least a dozen concussions

My first big concussion happened when I was six years old. The summer Olympics were being aired on TV, and I loved watching the divers make their elegant acrobatic entrances into the pool.

So, one day I tried to do a flip while diving into a regular suburban pool. Unfortunately, I dove headfirst into the concrete side of the pool and passed out. Luckily my mom quickly got me out of the pool and took me to the emergency room. I don’t remember the impact or anything for ten or fifteen minutes after it happened, so I must have passed out. I do remember being woozy and having a headache for weeks after that incident.

What is a concussion?

A concussion is a type of head injury known as a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that affects brain function. 

With a concussion, the brain can move in the skull. This creates chemical changes in the brain as well as damage to brain cells. Both of these situations can affect brain function. 

If you have EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome), which is a common comorbidity with MCAS, you may be more prone to concussions because of ligament damage making it difficult for your neck to stabilize your head properly. 

Traumatic Brain Injuries or TBIs are categorized based on the symptoms that present. A concussion is a type of TBI, which is categorized as a mild TBI, and most concussions are not life-threatening. 

However, concussions are still serious and can cause a lot of issues. 

• Symptoms of a concussion can be immediate, or they may appear gradually over time.
• With a concussion, you may or may not lose consciousness.
• With a moderate or severe TBI, you will usually lose consciousness.

What is MCAS?

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic condition that affects all organ systems. MCAS is serious and disabling and people with MCAS often experience significant and debilitating symptoms daily, including anaphylaxis, which can be fatal.

MCAS is often found in combination with other chronic conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

Frequently healthcare providers do not know about MCAS, and the tests for MCAS are problematic because they are not uniformly reliable. MCAS can be difficult to manage. Treatments include blocking mast cell mediators with anti-histamines and mast cell stabilizers and avoiding triggers.

Check out this post on how to manage MCAS.

The bucket theory

The bucket theory offers a helpful analogy for understanding symptom reactions when you have MCAS.

Think of your body as an empty bucket that you want to keep from overflowing. Different foods and activities fill your histamine bucket at different speeds but they combine to form the total level of histamine in your body (how full your bucket is). A fuller bucket means you have more histamine symptoms. When you manage triggers, reduce exposure to known triggers, and take medications and supplements to reduce histamine, you can manage the level of your bucket.

The likelihood of having more concussions

Once you sustain one TBI or concussion you are much more likely to experience another concussion. This is so for several reasons. One reason is that you are less steady while you are healing from a concussion, making it more likely for you to lose your balance.

Another reason for being more likely to have a second concussion (or third, or more) is that the brain needs time to heal, and while it is healing it is vulnerable to any jarring. So, you are more likely to have a second or third concussion while your brain is still healing from a much smaller impact like bumping your head on a cupboard.

In my case, I had two more pretty serious concussions in my youth — once when a hammock I was lying in fell down, and another when I was hit from behind by another skier while downhill skiing. And then while I was experiencing an intense period of caregiving stress in my life I had a series of nine concussions within a few years. Some of the impacts were very minor, but a few of them sent me to the hospital.

Another reason for sustaining multiple concussions after you experience one is that when your brain is healing from a TBI or concussion it is using extra resources (energy) to heal. So you have less energy for other life processes. This makes sense because the brain is so important to all of your functioning. If you experience another bump on the head your body doesn’t have enough extra resources to deal with the second threat. This can lead to what is known as Second Impact Syndrome, which can be very serious.

Symptoms of concussions

When you sustain a concussion mast cells are the first responders.

These are common symptoms of concussions source:

Physical

• Sensitivity to light and sound 
• Drowsiness 
• Migraines or headaches 
• Dizziness or balance problems 
• Clumsiness 
• Fatigue
• Nausea or vomiting 
• Vision problems like blurry vision 

Cognitive

• Concentration issues 
• Confusion or disorientation 
• Memory problems 

Emotional 

• Anxiety 
• Depression 
• Irritability 
• Being emotional  
• Sadness 
• Behavioral or personality changes 

Sleep

• Sleeping less than usual 
• Sleep more than usual 
• Difficulty falling asleep

You don’t need to have all of these signs to have a concussion. But you will likely have one or more symptoms from one or more of the above categories. 

The link between concussions and MCAS

There can be many root causes for MCAS, such as infections, toxic exposures including mold toxicity, and trauma of any kind — physical, emotional, or mental. 

All of these root causes have in common that they damage the vagus nerve. When your vagus nerve is damaged it overreacts to whatever it perceives as a threat, which can lead to mast cell activation (sending more mast cells to the site), inflammation, and permeability of the blood-brain barrier.

In a concussion your brain may become inflamed, leading mast cells to congregate at the site. Though this is a protective measure designed to aid healing, it can exacerbate already overreactive mast cells. You can also experience structural damage to the ligaments around the skull, leading to increased inflammation and mast cell activity.

And any time there is a vagus nerve injury, the vagus nerve will send continuous signals to the brain that there is an assault on the body. This causes mast cells to rush to the site to assist with healing. Having mast cells on high alert and acting haywire after the initial impact is long over causes a spiral of mast cell activation.

Concussion treatments

Treating a concussion as soon as possible is critical to healing your brain so that you don’t experience further complications like MCAS or Post-Concussion Headaches.

Rest and sleep are critical when you have a concussion. If you are experiencing headaches you may need to take time off work to totally sit in a darkened room — for as long as it takes to heal. This can be really hard if you are busy! But giving your brain the rest it needs is crucial to healing your concussion.

Reducing your toxic load is also very important so that your body can focus on healing the brain and not on dealing with extra toxins in your body.

See a professional such as a chiropractor, neurological chiropractor, cranial sacral therapist, osteopath, or another gentle healer.

Use vagus nerve healing modalities such as frequency healing, FSM, and gentle vagal tone exercises.

Take supplements that aid in healing concussions such as turmeric or curcumin, and Tributyrin-X.

Tributyrin-X helps to

• Reinforce the blood-brain barrier and keep toxins out of the brain
• Modulate the release of inflammatory mediators from mast cells
• Promote memory consolidation 

And consider taking Low Dose Naltrexone, which has been shown to aid in healing from concussions.

Know your typical symptom progression

When you have MCAS it is important to know your symptom progression in a symptom flare is the key to developing your own rescue plan. In this post, I discuss how to determine your own symptom progression. Once you know what typically happens in your symptom progression you can design a rescue plan to address those symptoms.

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