Lactose Intolerance

It’s common to see people suffer from digestive issues after having a dairy food due to the lactose intolerance condition.

Lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance is a condition that causes an inability to completely digest the sugar lactose in milk and dairy products.

Lactose intolerance is a common condition, and almost 65% of people worldwide struggle to break down and absorb lactose.

Causes of lactose intolerance

The lack of the digestive enzyme lactase that’s responsible for digesting lactose is what causes lactose intolerance.

There are four types of lactose intolerance:

• Primary lactose intolerance: occurs when there is a reduction in the production of lactase in the small intestine.
• Secondary lactose intolerance: occurs due to damage in the small intestine.
• Congenital lactose intolerance: occurs when there is a lactase deficiency since birth.
• Developmental lactose intolerance: occurs as a result of premature birth, which causes the small intestines to not fully develop.

Symptoms of lactose intolerance

Symptoms of lactose intolerance usually start 30 minutes to two hours after consuming dairy products and include:

• Bloating.
• Gas.
• Discomfort feeling in the abdomen.
• Diarrhea.
• Stomach cramps.
• Nausea and vomiting sometimes.

Diagnosis of lactose intolerance

• Evaluating the symptoms.
• Hydrogen breath test.
• Blood sugar test.

Treatment of lactose intolerance

• There isn’t a cure for lactose intolerance except for cases that are caused by another condition.
• To manage lactose intolerance, limit your consumption of dairy products.
• You can take supplements that contain the enzyme lactase in order to help in digesting lactose.