How do lactose intolerance and dairy allergy differ in their causes and symptoms. What are the most effective diagnostic methods for these conditions. How can individuals successfully manage their diet and lifestyle with lactose intolerance or dairy allergy.

Understanding the Difference: Lactose Intolerance and Dairy Allergy

Lactose intolerance and dairy allergy are often confused due to their similar names and some overlapping symptoms. However, these conditions are fundamentally different in their causes and how they affect the body. Understanding these differences is crucial for proper diagnosis and management.

Lactose Intolerance: A Digestive Issue

Lactose intolerance is a digestive condition characterized by the body’s inability to produce sufficient lactase, an enzyme necessary for digesting lactose, the primary sugar found in milk and dairy products. When lactose isn’t properly digested, it moves into the colon, where bacteria break it down, leading to uncomfortable digestive symptoms.

Dairy Allergy: An Immune System Response

In contrast, a dairy allergy involves the immune system. The body mistakenly identifies proteins in milk and dairy products as harmful invaders, triggering an allergic reaction. This reaction can range from mild to severe and potentially life-threatening.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Lactose Intolerance and Dairy Allergy

The prevalence of these conditions varies significantly, with lactose intolerance being far more common in adults.

• Lactose intolerance affects approximately 30 million Americans by age 20
• It’s more prevalent in individuals with Asian, African, or Native American heritage
• Less common in those with northern or western European backgrounds

Dairy allergy, while less common overall, is one of the most frequent food allergies in children:

• Affects up to 2% of children under 4 years old
• More common in infants
• Often outgrown in childhood, but can persist into adulthood

Risk Factors for Dairy Allergy

Several factors can increase the likelihood of developing a dairy allergy:

• Presence of other allergies
• History of eczema
• Family history of allergies (including hay fever, eczema, or asthma)
• Young age (more common in children)

Recognizing Symptoms: Lactose Intolerance vs. Dairy Allergy

While some symptoms overlap between lactose intolerance and dairy allergy, there are distinct differences that can help in identifying the correct condition.

Common Symptoms of Both Conditions

• Diarrhea
• Nausea (sometimes accompanied by vomiting)
• Abdominal cramps
• Bloating
• Gas

Unique Symptoms of Dairy Allergy

Dairy allergy can cause reactions in various parts of the body, including:

• Skin reactions (rashes, hives)
• Swelling, often in the lips and face
• Respiratory symptoms (wheezing, tightness in throat)
• Difficulty swallowing
• Blood in stool (particularly in infants)

In severe cases, dairy allergy can lead to anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction that typically occurs within minutes of exposure but can sometimes delay for hours.

Diagnostic Approaches for Lactose Intolerance and Dairy Allergy

Accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective management of both lactose intolerance and dairy allergy. Healthcare providers employ different testing methods for each condition.

Diagnosing Lactose Intolerance

Several tests can confirm lactose intolerance:

1. Lactose Tolerance Test: Involves drinking a lactose-rich liquid and measuring blood glucose levels after two hours. If glucose levels don’t rise, it indicates poor lactose digestion.
2. Hydrogen Breath Test: After consuming a lactose-rich liquid, hydrogen levels in the breath are measured at regular intervals. Elevated hydrogen levels suggest undigested lactose being broken down in the colon.
3. Stool Acidity Test: Primarily used for infants and children, this test checks for lactic acid in stool samples, indicating undigested lactose.

Diagnosing Dairy Allergy

Dairy allergy diagnosis typically involves:

1. Skin Prick Test: A small amount of the allergen is placed under the skin. A raised, itchy bump indicates a potential allergy.
2. Blood Test: Measures the levels of specific antibodies related to milk protein allergies.
3. Oral Food Challenge: Under medical supervision, increasing amounts of dairy are consumed to observe any allergic reactions.

It’s important to note that both skin prick tests and blood tests can produce false positives, necessitating careful interpretation by an allergist.

Managing Lactose Intolerance: Dietary Strategies and Supplements

Lactose intolerance can be effectively managed through dietary adjustments and the use of supplements. The goal is to reduce or eliminate symptoms while maintaining adequate nutrition.

Dietary Modifications

The primary strategy for managing lactose intolerance involves limiting or avoiding dairy products. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean eliminating all dairy from the diet. Many individuals with lactose intolerance can tolerate small amounts of dairy, especially when consumed with other foods.

• Experiment with different dairy products to determine personal tolerance levels
• Choose lactose-reduced or lactose-free milk and dairy products
• Opt for hard cheeses, which typically contain less lactose
• Consider alternatives such as soy, almond, or oat milk

Lactase Enzyme Supplements

Lactase enzyme supplements can be taken with dairy-containing meals to aid in lactose digestion. These supplements provide the enzyme that the body lacks, allowing for better tolerance of dairy products.

Ensuring Adequate Nutrition

When reducing dairy intake, it’s important to ensure adequate intake of nutrients typically found in dairy products, particularly calcium and vitamin D. Non-dairy sources of these nutrients include:

• Leafy green vegetables (for calcium)
• Fortified non-dairy milk alternatives
• Canned fish with soft bones (for calcium)
• Sunlight exposure and fatty fish (for vitamin D)

Living with Dairy Allergy: Strict Avoidance and Emergency Preparedness

Managing a dairy allergy requires a more stringent approach compared to lactose intolerance, as even small amounts of dairy proteins can trigger an allergic reaction.

Complete Dairy Avoidance

Individuals with dairy allergy must avoid all dairy products and foods containing dairy ingredients. This includes:

• Milk (including all animal milks)
• Cheese
• Yogurt
• Butter
• Ice cream
• Foods containing milk proteins (casein, whey)

Reading food labels carefully is crucial, as dairy ingredients can be present in unexpected products.

Cross-Contamination Awareness

People with dairy allergies must be vigilant about potential cross-contamination, especially when dining out or consuming packaged foods. This includes:

• Informing restaurant staff about the allergy
• Avoiding foods prepared on shared equipment with dairy products
• Being cautious with bakery items that may contain traces of milk

Emergency Preparedness

For individuals with severe dairy allergies, being prepared for accidental exposure is critical:

• Carry an epinephrine auto-injector (such as EpiPen) at all times
• Wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace
• Educate family, friends, and colleagues about the allergy and emergency procedures

Nutritional Considerations

Eliminating dairy from the diet requires careful planning to ensure adequate intake of essential nutrients:

• Calcium: Obtain from fortified non-dairy milk, leafy greens, and calcium-set tofu
• Vitamin D: Consider supplements and fortified foods
• Protein: Incorporate plant-based proteins, lean meats, and fish

Navigating Social Situations and Dining Out

Both lactose intolerance and dairy allergy can present challenges in social situations and when dining away from home. Developing strategies to manage these situations is crucial for maintaining quality of life.

Communication is Key

For both conditions, clear communication about dietary needs is essential:

• Inform hosts or restaurants about your dietary restrictions in advance
• Don’t hesitate to ask about ingredients and preparation methods
• Consider carrying a card explaining your condition in the local language when traveling

Planning Ahead

Preparation can make social situations and travel much easier:

• Research restaurant menus and options beforehand
• Carry safe snacks or supplements (for lactose intolerance)
• When traveling, learn about local cuisine and common ingredients

Educating Others

Helping friends, family, and colleagues understand your condition can lead to better support and accommodation:

• Explain the difference between lactose intolerance and dairy allergy
• Share information about hidden sources of dairy in foods
• Demonstrate how to read food labels for dairy ingredients

Future Perspectives: Research and Emerging Treatments

As our understanding of lactose intolerance and dairy allergy evolves, new research and potential treatments are emerging.

Advancements in Lactose Intolerance Management

Research is ongoing in several areas:

• Development of more effective lactase supplements
• Exploring prebiotics and probiotics to improve lactose digestion
• Investigating genetic factors influencing lactose intolerance

Progress in Dairy Allergy Treatment

While strict avoidance remains the primary management strategy for dairy allergy, new approaches are being studied:

• Oral immunotherapy to build tolerance to milk proteins
• Development of hypoallergenic dairy products
• Research into the role of gut microbiome in preventing or treating food allergies

Personalized Medicine Approaches

The future of managing these conditions may lie in personalized treatments based on individual genetic and microbiome profiles. This could lead to more targeted and effective management strategies for both lactose intolerance and dairy allergy.

As research progresses, individuals affected by these conditions can look forward to potentially more diverse and effective management options in the future. However, it’s important to always consult with healthcare professionals before trying any new treatments or making significant changes to management strategies.

Lactose Intolerance vs. Dairy Allergy: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Living With

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• Symptoms
• Am I More Likely to Have Dairy Allergy?
• Getting Tested
• Testing for Lactose Intolerance
• Testing for Dairy Allergy
• Living With Lactose Intolerance
• Living With Dairy Allergy
• More

Lactose intolerance and dairy allergy sound a lot alike. Many people think they’re the same thing. But, how they’re caused (and how they affect your body) are very different.

Lactose intolerance involves the digestive system: If you have it, your body doesn’t make lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose. That’s the sugar in milk. Instead of digesting normally in your stomach and small intestine, undigested lactose moves into your colon, where it’s broken down by bacteria and causes bloating and gas. It can be uncomfortable, but it’s not dangerous.

Lactose intolerance is common in adults – about 30 million Americans have it by age 20. It’s more common in people with Asian, African or Native American heritage and less common in people with a northern or western European background.

Dairy allergy involves the immune system: If you have it, your body reacts to the proteins in milk and other dairy products as if they’re dangerous invaders. It releases substances that cause allergy symptoms. This allergic reaction can be mild (rashes) to severe (trouble breathing, loss of consciousness).

Dairy allergy is one of most common allergies, especially in children. As many as 2 in every 100 children under 4 years old are allergic to milk. It’s even more common in babies.

Some symptoms of lactose intolerance and dairy allergy may be the same:

• Diarrhea
• Nausea; sometimes vomiting
• Abdominal cramps
• Bloating
• Gas

But dairy allergy can also cause a reaction in other parts of your body, including the skin and lungs:

• Rash
• Hives
• Swelling, often in the lips and face
• Wheezing
• Tightness in throat
• Trouble swallowing

There may be blood in the stool (poop) too, especially in babies.

Anaphylaxis is a serious, life-threatening allergic reaction and often begins minutes after you eat a food you’re allergic to, but sometimes it can happen hours later. It usually involves more than one symptom in more than one part of your body at the same time.

If you have a severe allergy or if you’ve ever had anaphylaxis in the past, talk to your doctor about carrying an injectable epinephrine (Adrenaclick, Auvi-Q, EpiPen, a generic auto-injector, Symjepi) to slow down or stop the allergic reaction.

You’re more likely to develop dairy allergy if:

• You have other allergies
• You have eczema
• One or both of your parents has a food or other allergy, like hay fever, eczema or asthma
• You’re young. Milk allergy is more common in children. As you get older, your digestive system is less likely to react to milk, but you’re likelier to have lactose intolerance.

First your doctor will take your medical history to understand your symptoms and how your body reacts to dairy foods. Then you’ll be tested to confirm whether it’s lactose intolerance or a dairy allergy.

Lactose tolerance test: You’ll drink a liquid that contains a lot of lactose. About 2 hours later, the amount of glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream will be measured. If your glucose level doesn’t rise, you’re not digesting the lactose in the drink.

Hydrogen breath test: You’ll drink a liquid that contains a lot of lactose. Then, the hydrogen in your breath will be measured at regular intervals. If you’re not digesting lactose, it will be broken down in your colon, releasing hydrogen that can be detected in your breath.

Stool acidity test: Babies and children who can’t be tested otherwise can have their stool tested for lactic acid caused by the breakdown of undigested lactose in the colon.

Skin prick test: A small drop of liquid containing the dairy allergen is placed under your skin on your forearm or back. If a raised bump surrounded by itchy red skin appears, a dairy allergy is likely.

Your doctor might have you take a blood test too, which measures the amount of certain antibodies in your blood.

Both tests can have “false positives.” You can test positive for an allergy even though you really don’t have it. Your allergist will explain the results.

If an allergy is still suspected but not confirmed, your doctor may have you take an oral challenge. You’ll be fed different foods that may or may not contain milk in increasing amounts to see if you react to food that contains milk.

Lactose intolerance is easily managed, mostly by limiting the amount of dairy food and drink you consume. You can also try lactose-reduced ice cream and milk, or take lactase enzyme supplements when you eat dairy products to help your body digest lactose.

If you have dairy allergy, you’ll need to avoid all dairy foods and other foods that contain dairy products.

Staying safe means reading food labels to see if milk or ingredients containing milk are included. Milk proteins are found in many foods you wouldn’t expect. Some canned tuna, energy drinks and even chewing gum contain them. And don’t eat lactose-reduced foods if you have dairy allergy. They still contain the milk proteins that can cause allergic reactions.

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Lactose Intolerance vs. Dairy Allergy: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Living With

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• Symptoms
• Am I More Likely to Have Dairy Allergy?
• Getting Tested
• Testing for Lactose Intolerance
• Testing for Dairy Allergy
• Living With Lactose Intolerance
• Living With Dairy Allergy
• More

Lactose intolerance and dairy allergy sound a lot alike. Many people think they’re the same thing. But, how they’re caused (and how they affect your body) are very different.

Lactose intolerance involves the digestive system: If you have it, your body doesn’t make lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose. That’s the sugar in milk. Instead of digesting normally in your stomach and small intestine, undigested lactose moves into your colon, where it’s broken down by bacteria and causes bloating and gas. It can be uncomfortable, but it’s not dangerous.

Lactose intolerance is common in adults – about 30 million Americans have it by age 20. It’s more common in people with Asian, African or Native American heritage and less common in people with a northern or western European background.

Dairy allergy involves the immune system: If you have it, your body reacts to the proteins in milk and other dairy products as if they’re dangerous invaders. It releases substances that cause allergy symptoms. This allergic reaction can be mild (rashes) to severe (trouble breathing, loss of consciousness).

Dairy allergy is one of most common allergies, especially in children. As many as 2 in every 100 children under 4 years old are allergic to milk. It’s even more common in babies.

Some symptoms of lactose intolerance and dairy allergy may be the same:

• Diarrhea
• Nausea; sometimes vomiting
• Abdominal cramps
• Bloating
• Gas

But dairy allergy can also cause a reaction in other parts of your body, including the skin and lungs:

• Rash
• Hives
• Swelling, often in the lips and face
• Wheezing
• Tightness in throat
• Trouble swallowing

There may be blood in the stool (poop) too, especially in babies.

Anaphylaxis is a serious, life-threatening allergic reaction and often begins minutes after you eat a food you’re allergic to, but sometimes it can happen hours later. It usually involves more than one symptom in more than one part of your body at the same time.

If you have a severe allergy or if you’ve ever had anaphylaxis in the past, talk to your doctor about carrying an injectable epinephrine (Adrenaclick, Auvi-Q, EpiPen, a generic auto-injector, Symjepi) to slow down or stop the allergic reaction.

You’re more likely to develop dairy allergy if:

• You have other allergies
• You have eczema
• One or both of your parents has a food or other allergy, like hay fever, eczema or asthma
• You’re young. Milk allergy is more common in children. As you get older, your digestive system is less likely to react to milk, but you’re likelier to have lactose intolerance.

First your doctor will take your medical history to understand your symptoms and how your body reacts to dairy foods. Then you’ll be tested to confirm whether it’s lactose intolerance or a dairy allergy.

Lactose tolerance test: You’ll drink a liquid that contains a lot of lactose. About 2 hours later, the amount of glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream will be measured. If your glucose level doesn’t rise, you’re not digesting the lactose in the drink.

Hydrogen breath test: You’ll drink a liquid that contains a lot of lactose. Then, the hydrogen in your breath will be measured at regular intervals. If you’re not digesting lactose, it will be broken down in your colon, releasing hydrogen that can be detected in your breath.

Stool acidity test: Babies and children who can’t be tested otherwise can have their stool tested for lactic acid caused by the breakdown of undigested lactose in the colon.

Skin prick test: A small drop of liquid containing the dairy allergen is placed under your skin on your forearm or back. If a raised bump surrounded by itchy red skin appears, a dairy allergy is likely.

Your doctor might have you take a blood test too, which measures the amount of certain antibodies in your blood.

Both tests can have “false positives.” You can test positive for an allergy even though you really don’t have it. Your allergist will explain the results.

If an allergy is still suspected but not confirmed, your doctor may have you take an oral challenge. You’ll be fed different foods that may or may not contain milk in increasing amounts to see if you react to food that contains milk.

Lactose intolerance is easily managed, mostly by limiting the amount of dairy food and drink you consume. You can also try lactose-reduced ice cream and milk, or take lactase enzyme supplements when you eat dairy products to help your body digest lactose.

If you have dairy allergy, you’ll need to avoid all dairy foods and other foods that contain dairy products.

Staying safe means reading food labels to see if milk or ingredients containing milk are included. Milk proteins are found in many foods you wouldn’t expect. Some canned tuna, energy drinks and even chewing gum contain them. And don’t eat lactose-reduced foods if you have dairy allergy. They still contain the milk proteins that can cause allergic reactions.

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Lactase deficiency, food allergy – Symptoms and treatment

How to recognize lactase deficiency and not confuse it with an allergy to cow’s milk proteins in a child, which doctor to contact and how to correctly diagnose this pathology, we will describe below.

Today, such a diagnosis as lactase deficiency has become very “fashionable” and is often unjustifiably given to children of different age categories. This often causes an unreasonable transfer of a child from breastfeeding to artificial, early introduction of complementary foods and long-term treatment of a child for a disease that he does not have.

Lactase deficiency or lactose intolerance is a condition in which the intestine does not produce enough lactase enzyme to digest milk sugar (lactose).

Lactose is very important for babies in their first months of life because breast milk or formula is the main food for these babies. Lactose is the main source of energy for a small organism. It is also used for the proper growth and development of all organs and systems. Therefore, problem lactase deficiency should be given special attention in children of the first year of life.

Symptoms of lactase deficiency in children can be completely different.

Undigested lactose gets into the intestines and is broken down by the bacteria that live there. This leads to the following symptoms:

• bloating,
• malodorous frequent loose stools,
• regurgitation,
• child’s restlessness (baby throws up the breast, bends over during feeding or cries immediately after feeding),
• allergic skin rash,
• the child is not gaining weight well and lags behind in development,
• in older children there is pain in the abdomen without a clear localization.

Other types of food intolerances, such as gluten intolerance or celiac disease, may show the same symptoms.

Because of non-specific symptoms lactase deficiency is often confused with food allergy, cow’s milk protein allergy in children . Despite this, the mechanism of development, diagnosis and treatment of lactase deficiency and allergy to cow’s milk proteins are completely different. Also, one should not forget that there is a combined pathology – this is when a food allergy in children is accompanied by lactase deficiency.

Most often, lactase deficiency in babies is acquired and develops as a result of other diseases, such as food allergies or celiac disease, and is not an independent or congenital condition. And after treating the aforementioned conditions, it is possible to restore the body’s ability to digest lactose. Only after eliminating the cause of lactose intolerance can we talk about the solution of the problem.

Gastrolyzer® is the first breath test in Ukraine for the diagnosis of lactase deficiency and other types of food intolerance, presented at the FxMed Clinic.

The Hydrogen Breath Test is a painless method for measuring hydrogen levels, which are produced when sugar is broken down by intestinal bacteria and then absorbed into the bloodstream and can be measured in exhaled air.

The Gastrolyzer® breath test is known worldwide as the “ gold” standard for diagnosing lactase deficiency , many types of food intolerance and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (overgrowth syndrome (SIBO), irritable bowel syndrome) and is recommended by leading European experts.

Hydrogen breath test detects:

• lactase deficiency
• fructose intolerance
• intolerance to sorbitol (sugar substitute)
• small intestine transit time determinations
• bacterial overgrowth syndrome (SIBO)

The test technique is quite simple and can be performed on children of all ages. The presence of a mask allows the test to be performed on younger children.

Treatment of lactase deficiency

It is based on a dairy-free diet and lactase enzyme replacement therapy. Complete exclusion from the diet of dairy products, which is most often prescribed for children with lactase deficiency, is not the best way to solve the problem.

Dairy products are a source of calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus and other trace elements necessary for the normal growth and development of the child. In this case, it is better to use products that are lactose-free or low in lactose.

Treatment of lactase deficiency in children of the first year of life

For children with congenital lactase deficiency, the only method of treatment is to transfer the child to therapeutic lactose-free formulas. In children with acquired lactase deficiency, it is necessary to establish the cause and eliminate it.

Formula-fed babies are most often treated with therapeutic lactose-free formulas.

Questions and Answers

Can lactase deficiency be diagnosed with a dairy-free diet?

The disappearance of symptoms after the exclusion of dairy products from the diet and their resumption after repeated introduction does not always indicate lactase deficiency. It must be remembered that the same symptoms are accompanied by an allergy to cow’s milk proteins.

Is it justified to transfer a child to artificial feeding (lactose-free formulas) if lactase deficiency is suspected?

Can often be unjustified. Only a very small percentage of children with congenital lactase deficiency should be fed lactose-free formulas. For breastfed babies, lactase preparations are often prescribed, which are mixed with breast milk.

What are the main causes of lactase deficiency in young children?

The main causes of lactase deficiency in infants are food allergies, including cow’s milk protein allergy, food intolerance and celiac disease. Laboratory methods of examination (molecular allergodiagnostics, allergen tests, food intolerance tests) help to establish the exact cause of acquired lactase deficiency.

Milk allergy (lactose): milk allergy in children and adults

Milk allergy (or lactose allergy) is a response of the human immune system to milk protein. An interesting fact is that for one person only sheep’s milk can be an allergen, and he can safely drink goat’s and cow’s milk, and for another person, absolutely all dairy products can serve as allergens.

This is due to the fact that the milk of artiodactyl animals does not contain the same types of proteins.

And so some people are allergic to one type of protein in milk, while others are allergic to several types of proteins. In the event that casein (a protein whose percentage in milk is 80% of all proteins) acts as an allergen for a person, then a person cannot eat any types of dairy products. That is, when a person is allergic to cow’s milk (or, to be more precise, to cow’s milk protein), he can still drink goat’s milk without any difficulty.

Types of proteins in milk

In general, it can be said that milk contains different types of proteins, which determine the nature of human allergic disease.

Casein is found in all types of milk, as mentioned above. And this means that it is not possible to replace the use of one milk with another in the presence of an allergy to milk.

Whey proteins. Such proteins are temperature sensitive. Accordingly, when milk is boiled, the process of destruction of such proteins occurs. That is why, if it is impossible to eat raw milk, you can safely use boiled milk.

Causes of lactose allergy

Causes of lactose (milk sugar) allergy may be as follows:

Genetic heredity to ensure that a hypersensitive reaction is formed in the human body to the intake of substances that serve as irritants.

Malfunctions of the immune system when specific immunoglobulin E is produced in large quantities.

If the enzyme that is responsible for processing the protein contained in milk is not present in the patient’s body or is present, but in too small quantity, then the human body will react to proteins as if they were foreign substances and react accordingly.

Symptoms of an allergy to milk (lactose)

Symptoms of an allergy in adults are as follows: , flatulence, spasms.

Severe symptoms

Symptoms may become more severe. For example, in adults, there may be sudden changes in pressure, choking, or there is a strong degree of swelling of the throat and mouth.

It is worth noting the fact that it does not matter what kind of milk a person is allergic to, since the symptoms will be the same for an allergy to cow’s protein, and an allergy to goat’s, and sheep’s.

If you experience any of the above symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor for qualified assistance and treatment. It is almost impossible to remove milk from among the irritants that cause an allergic reaction, even if drugs are used for this. The only thing that can be done to prevent lactose allergy is to remove milk, and also dairy products, if necessary, from the list of foods consumed. At the same time, it is worth mentioning that milk, one way or another, is an integral part of a huge number of products, such as chocolate, white bread, ice cream, sour cream, breakfast cereals, pastry, cream, condensed milk, and instant soups, as well as dry soups. mixtures. So in the event that the patient has a pronounced allergic reaction to milk, you should stop eating not only yogurt, kefir, cheese, milk and cottage cheese, but also the aforementioned products that contain milk. In addition, milk components can be found in cosmetics, and therefore they should be checked for the presence of an allergen. Since sometimes it can be quite difficult to determine whether a product contains milk or not, people who are prone to this type of allergy are strongly advised to always carry medications with them, which can quickly remove the symptoms of milk allergy that have appeared.

Milk allergy in a child

When a child has a milk allergy, the disease process is accompanied by the same symptoms as in adults. If a child has an allergy to milk protein, which is found in dairy products such as milk (breast), cottage cheese, cheese, yogurt, kefir, etc., then he may be more capricious, and also lag behind in growth and development ( this is due to the fact that he does not receive the necessary amount of nutrients for this). In addition, he may have loose stools or burp after feeding. It is much easier to understand that milk has become the cause of an allergic disease when the sick person is a child. Because, unlike an adult, whose diet should still be checked for possible irritants, a child’s milk allergy can manifest itself immediately during breastfeeding. At the same time, it should be added that over time, in young children, an allergy to milk disappears, remaining in adulthood in only 1% of those who were ill.

If a child develops the above symptoms, they should be taken to a specialist immediately. In order to find out if there is an allergy specifically to milk, and, as a possible consequence, to dairy products, the following procedures can be carried out: to check the blood for the content of immunoglobulins in it, skin allergic tests are performed; to check the blood for the content of antibodies in it, take its analysis.

The presence of such an allergic disease creates a large number of inconveniences for the patient, especially if it is a small child. They are advised to give milk substitutes for food, which are designed specifically for allergy sufferers. The composition of such milk includes milk of plant origin and goat’s milk, which is completely harmless to your baby, because intolerance to goat’s milk is extremely rare. Its important advantage is the fact that it is close to the female in its composition. For adults, it is recommended to eat such types of milk as oat, rice, soy and almond. At the same time, for approximately a quarter of people who are allergic to milk protein, soy is also an allergen, so they cannot change milk to soy in their diet. There is no such protein in rice milk, but at the same time, its disadvantage is the low level of nutritional and beneficial properties compared to their level in other types of milk.

It is also recommended to change the butter for a product such as margarine. It is worth paying attention to the fact that dairy products contain a large amount of vitamin B. In this regard, if a person excludes dairy products from the list of foods he eats, he must necessarily compensate for this.