Lactose Intolerance- Causes And Cures
You must have seen that few people mostly children complaint about having stomach ache after having milk or other dairy products
. This is because they have lactose intolerance, commonly known as milk allergy. Lactose intolerance or milk allergy is the inability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and to a lesser extent milk-derived dairy products.
When a person eats lactose containing product, lactase, an enzyme present in small intestine breaks it down into simpler sugar forms for proper absorption by the body. But people who have lactose intolerance do not produce enough lactase and undigested lactose sits in the gut and gets broken down by bacteria, causing gas, bloating, stomach cramps, and diarrhea.
Lactose intolerance is so common that some doctors do not even consider it as disease. Symptoms of lactose intolerance are:
Adverse reaction to products containing lactose (primarily milk).
Abdominal bloating and cramps.
Flatulence.
Diarrhea.
Nausea.
Borborygmi (rumbling stomach) and vomiting (particularly in adolescents).
All these symptoms appear in between thirty minutes to two hours after consumption. The severity of symptoms typically increases with the amount of lactose consumed, and most lactose intolerant people can tolerate a certain level of lactose in their diet without ill effect. All these symptoms can be really embarrassing for a person if they occur in public. So if you have any of the above symptoms then you must avoid dairy products.
Lactose intolerance is caused by these factors:
Bowel surgery
Infections in the small intestine from viruses or bacteria, which may damage the cells lining the intestine (most often in children)
Intestinal diseases such as celiac disease.
Hereditary.
Due to lack in intake of milk or dairy products. Sudden intake may also cause milk allergy.
The biggest concern for people who are lactose-intolerant is to make sure that they get enough of the nutrients found in milk products, especially calcium from other sources that do not have lactose. Calcium is most important for children, teens, pregnant women, and women after menopause. There are many nondairy foods that contain calcium like:
Calcium-fortified juices and cereals
Almonds
Canned sardines, tuna, and salmon.
Broccoli, okra, kale, collards, and turnip greens.
Calcium-fortified soy products such as soy milk, tofu, and soybeans.
Consult a good allergist or immunologist if you want proper treatment of your milk allergy or if you want to know how much milk or dairy products you can tolerate. Your allergist can also suggest you to take lactase enzyme supplement before having milk or dairy products to avoid allergy. Lactase enzyme supplement will help you to digest milk or dairy products without causing any problem.
Your doctor will test you first to know your tolerance for lactose by using the lactose hydrogen breath test. Normally very little hydrogen gas is detectable in the breath. However, undigested lactose in the colon ferments (breaks down) and produces various gases, including hydrogen. Doctors can also detect lactose intolerance of milk allergy by Enteroscopy, Lactose tolerance test and Stool pH.
If you have lactose intolerance or milk allergy then you must read labels of products before eating them. When you are eating outside in a restaurant or pub, do enquire about the ingredients or tell them before hand to avoid adding milk products in any food item you are eating.
by: bookmydoctor
Bathrooms Now And Then! Cheap Tummy Tuck And Liposuction Abroad With Special Mommy Makeover Packages In India The Improvement And Development Of Door Handles Bad Credit Mobile Phones: Advantages And Disadvantages Shipping To Qatar And Shipping To Jordan From Usa Easy Relocation! Athletes And Tendonitis Customized And Affordable It Support Solutions Car Hire Services-offering Excellent And Best Quality Services! Types Of Balers And Their Uses Austerity Backlash And Impact On Euro Zone Right Quality Farm Fence And Appliances Online- A Must Have For Animal Farms. A Productive Bidding And Estimating Process For Electrical Contractors Real Estate In Baner, Rising And Shining In All Glory