Rare Disease Day - February 28, 2018

Rare Disease Day was created to raise awareness amongst the general public and also seeks to raise awareness amongst policy makers, public authorities, industry representatives, researchers, health professionals and anyone who has a genuine interest in rare diseases.

As described by The Mastocytosis Society, there are two main forms of mast cell disorders: Mastocytosis, where the body produces too many mast cells, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), where even the normal number of mast cells are too easily activated by a trigger to release their contents, called mediators. These mediators can cause a variety of unpredictable symptoms in both children and adults, including skin rashes, flushing, abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, headache, bone pain and skeletal lesions, and anaphylaxis.