Aaron Hartman, MDFunctional Medicine Specialist | Clinical Researcher

Chemical Sensitivity and MCAS

10 Mar 2025 · 1 min

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Aaron Hartman, MD (speaker) introduces chemical sensitivity—reactions to diesel, fuels, perfumes, household and public smells—and suggests that mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) may underlie many cases. He explains that mast cells line body interfaces (skin, GI tract, sinuses, urogenital areas, around nerves) and that irritation by chemicals/toxins can activate these cells, producing diverse symptoms (gut, neurological, bladder, irritable bowel, etc.).

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Do you or anybody you know have issues with chemical sensitivity? Diesel fuel, diesel exhaust, jet fuel. Maybe it's perfumes. Maybe it's just smells around the house, out in public. Or maybe they can't smell it, but they get exposed to things and they start having these weird symptoms, and they think it's mold or they think it's, you know, whatever they think it is. You know, what could be the underlying cause for this? Well, research is now showing this thing called mast cell activation syndrome may in many cases be the cause for this underlying chemical intolerance. What is behind this? This actually has to do with a part of your immune system called mast cells that line all of your interfaces, the internal and external environment. So around your skin, GI tract, nasal sinuses, your gut, urogenital areas, as well as around nerve endings. So what happens when these get irritated? You can have symptoms in your gut, your brain, neurological issues, bladder issues, irritable bowel, a whole host of things. This is a really important thing because chemical triggers and toxins can be an incidence and actually activate this.