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If you have difficulty with milk, it may mean that you have lactose intolerance. Also called lactase deficiency, the problem is that you aren\u2019t able to fully digest the milk sugar (lactose) in dairy products. It\u2019s usually not dangerous, but lactose intolerance can give you symptoms uncomfortable enough to keep you clear of the dairy aisles in the supermarket.<\/p>\n
The problem behind lactose intolerance is a deficiency of lactase \u2013 an enzyme produced by the lining of your small intestine. Some people who believe they are lactose intolerant actually don\u2019t have impaired lactose digestion. And not everyone with low levels of lactase is lactose intolerant. Only people with low lactase levels and symptoms are considered to have lactose intolerance.<\/p>\n
You can control symptoms of lactose intolerance through a carefully chosen diet that limits lactose without cutting out calcium, and possibly by taking supplements.<\/p>\n
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS<\/strong><\/p>\n If you have this condition, you will begin to have signs and symptoms 30 minutes to two hours after eating or drinking foods containing lactose. Commonly your symptoms include:<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Diarrhea, the most common symptom Symptoms are usually mild but may be severe sometimes. Their severity doesn\u2019t correlate with the degree of lactose malabsorption. Instead, symptoms relate to a range of factors like ethnicity, age, and how fast you digest food.<\/p>\n Symptoms alone can make it difficult to diagnose lactose intolerance. Many other conditions, including stomach flu and irritable bowel syndrome, can give similar symptoms. In young children, diarrhea along with certain other symptoms may be a sign of milk protein allergy.<\/p>\n CAUSES<\/strong><\/p>\n Lactase from the cells lining\u00a0 your small intestine break down lactose into two simple sugars \u2013 glucose and galactose \u2013 which can be absorbed into your bloodstream. Without lactase, the unprocessed lactose moves on to the colon (large intestine) where bacteria there contend with it. This causes the hallmarks of lactose intolerance \u2013 gas, bloating, and diarrhea.<\/p>\n There are three types of lactose intolerance.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Normal result of aging for some people (primary lactose intolerance). Normally, your body produces large amount of lactase at birth and during early childhood, when milk is the primary source of nutrition. Usually your lactase production decreases as your diet becomes more varied and less reliant on milk. This gradual decline may cause symptoms of lactose intolerance.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Results of illness or injury (secondary lactose intolerance). This form of lactose intolerance occurs when your small intestine decreases lactase\u00a0 production after an illness, surgery or injury to your small intestine. Celiac disease, gastroenteritis or an inflammatory bowel disease like Chron\u2019s are examples of small intestine problems possibly at play. This type of lactose intolerance may last only a few weeks and be completely reversible. However, if it\u2019s caused by a long-term illness, it may be permanent.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Condition you\u2019re born with (congenital lactose intolerance). Babies can be born with lactose intolerance. This rare disorder is passed from generation to generation in an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance. This means that both the mother and the father must pass on the defective form of the gene for a child to be affected. Infants with this form of lactose intolerance are intolerant of the lactose in their mothers\u2019 breast milk and have diarrhea from birth. These babies require lactose-free infant formula.<\/p>\n RISK FACTORS<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Age. Lactose intolerance usually starts after age 5 \u2013 the condition is uncommon in babies and young children. A child with chronic diarrhea before age 1 usually has another underlying problem.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ethnicity. Lactose intolerance is more common in certain ethnic and racial populations. It\u2019s more common in black, Asian and Hispanic populations.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Premature birth. Infants born prematurely (28 to 32 weeks of gestation) may have reduced levels of lactase, because this enzyme increases in the fetus late in the third trimester.<\/p>\n WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE<\/strong><\/p>\n If you have signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance, talk to doctor. Don\u2019t diagnose yourself. Your symptoms could be an indication of another illness. Your doc can help determine if you have lactose intolerance or another condition.<\/p>\n SCREENING AND DIAGNOSIS<\/strong><\/p>\n Symptoms and your response to reducing the amount of dairy products you consume, may lead to the diagnosis. Confirmation may be done by doing one or more of the following tests.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lactose tolerance test. After given something containing lactose, the lactase in your intestine should break it down into galactose and glucose. If blood samples over a two-hour period don\u2019t show a rising glucose level, it means you\u2019re not properly digesting and absorbing the lactose-filled drink.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hydrogen breath test. You must also consume a high-lactose containing drink. Then the amount of hydrogen in your breath is measured at regular intervals. Normally, very little hydrogen is detectable. However undigested lactose reaches your colon and ferments, causing hydrogen and other gases to be released, absorbed by your intestines, and eventually exhaled. Large amounts of exhaled hydrogen indicate that you aren\u2019t fully digesting and absorbing lactose and that you\u2019re likely to be intolerant.<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Stool acidity test. This is mostly for infants and children. The lactose amount required for the above-mentioned tests may be dangerous for them. So the amount of acid in the stool is measured. Undigested and unabsorbed lactose ferments in the colon, producing lactic acid and other acids than can be detected in a stool sample.<\/p>\n SELF-CARE<\/strong><\/p>\n Some tips for self care:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Drink less milk more often Supplements <\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Use lactase enzyme tablets If you need more help with these, write me or see me.<\/p>\n See you next week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you have difficulty with milk, it may mean that you have lactose intolerance. Also called lactase deficiency, the problem is that you aren\u2019t able to fully digest the milk sugar (lactose) in dairy products. It\u2019s usually not dangerous, but…","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health-talk"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Nausea
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Abnormal cramps
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bloating
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gas<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Save milk for mealtime
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Experiment with an assortment of dairy products
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Buy lactose-reduced or lactose-free products
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Watch out for hidden lactose
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Seek other sources of calcium<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Try a calcium supplement
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Try probiotics<\/p>\n