Lactose intolerance or lactose sensitivity is a common digestive disorder that can affect up to 70% of people worldwide.
Lactose intolerance can cause many annoying symptoms like stomach pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and others that can disrupt daily life.
In this article, we will learn about the causes of lactose intolerance, its symptoms, how to diagnose it, and how to treat it.
What is lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance or milk sugar intolerance is when the body can't break down a natural sugar called lactose, which is commonly found in milk and different dairy products, like Yogurt And butter.
A person has lactose intolerance when their small intestine stops making enough lactase enzyme, which breaks down and digests lactose sugar.
When this happens, undigested lactose passes to the large intestine, where bacteria react with it, causing symptoms like bloating, gas, and diarrhea. This can also be called lactase deficiency.
Lactose intolerance is very common among adults, especially those of Asian, African, and Hispanic descent. The rates are lower in white adults and Eastern Europeans because their bodies keep making lots of lactase even as they age.
What are the symptoms of lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance usually causes some annoying digestive symptoms, which include:-
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Lots of gas.
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Bloated belly.
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Diarrhea.
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Stomach cramps.
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Throwing up and nausea.
These symptoms usually show up about 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating milk or other dairy with lactose.
Symptoms can be mild or bad, depending on how much lactose you ate and how much lactase enzyme you can make.
So people with lactose intolerance might need to avoid lactose products or take medicines with lactase enzyme.
What are the types of lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance is divided into three main types, each caused by different reasons for lactose intolerance, which include:-
- Primary lactose intolerance
Primary lactose intolerance happens naturally as people age and get older. It’s the most common kind of lactose intolerance.
People are born with enough lactase enzyme, which babies need to digest breast milk. Over time, the amount of lactase enzyme decreases because as people age, they start eating more varied foods and rely less on milk.
- Secondary lactose intolerance
This type of lactose intolerance happens due to illness or injury. Intestinal diseases like Digestive disorders or disease enteritis, or surgery or injury to the small intestine, in lactose intolerance.
In this type of lactose intolerance, lactase enzyme levels can be restored if the underlying disorder is treated.
- Congenital lactose intolerance
This type of lactose intolerance happens from birth. In rare cases, it can be inherited from parents to kids, where the defective gene is passed on causing a complete lack of lactase enzyme in the child.
In this kind of lactose intolerance, the child cannot tolerate Breast milk, diarrhea happens as soon as breast milk or any milk with lactose enters, and this can be life-threatening for the baby if not identified and treated early.
Sometimes, there's a type called developmental lactose intolerance. It happens when a baby is born before their due date because the enzyme lactase starts producing late in pregnancy.
How is lactose intolerance diagnosed?
If someone shows bloating, stomach pain, and diarrhea after dairy or milk, a doctor might want to confirm lactose intolerance by running some tests, which include:-
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Lactose intolerance test
The lactose intolerance test is a blood test that checks how the body reacts to a liquid with a high level of lactose.
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Hydrogen breath test
The hydrogen breath test measures the amount of hydrogen in the breath after drinking a beverage high in lactose.
If the body can't digest lactose, bacteria in the gut break it down instead, in a process called fermentation.
This fermentation releases hydrogen gas, which the body absorbs and then exhales in the breath.
So if the body doesn't digest lactose, the test shows a higher than normal amount of hydrogen in the breath.
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Stool acidity test
The stool acidity test is often done in infants and children. It measures lactic acid levels in a stool sample.
Lactic acid builds up when fermentation happens between bacteria and undigested lactose in the gut.
How is lactose intolerance treated?
Secondary lactose intolerance caused by a medical condition, surgery, or injury can be treated after fixing the main issue, but for other cases the main treatment is to reduce or fully remove milk and dairy from the diets of people with lactose intolerance.
People with lactose intolerance can drink up to ½ a cup of milk without symptoms, and lactose-free products are also available in most stores.
There might still be a chance to eat some types of cheese that are hard like cheddar, Swiss, and Parmesan, or some dairy products like yogurt.
Also, low-fat or fat-free dairy usually has less lactose. You can also get lactase enzyme over the counter.
What are the complications of lactose intolerance?
People with lactose intolerance who avoid milk or its products might end up missing some important nutrients for the body, which include:-
That's why experts recommend taking calcium supplements, or eating foods rich in calcium Naturally, or fortified with calcium.
You can also try milk alternatives, like:
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flaxseed milk.
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soy milk.
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rice milk.
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Lactose-free dairy products.
Lactose intolerance symptoms will go away if you remove milk and dairy products and stick to a lactose-free diet. So make sure to carefully read food labels to spot and avoid ingredients containing lactose in your diet.
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