Lactose Intolerance

Lactose Intolerance

The inability of adults and children to digest lactose, a sugar present in milk and to a lesser extent dairy products, can result in lactose intolerance and its associated adverse effects. It is brought on by hypolactasia, a lactase deficiency. Congenital alactasia, a complete lack of lactase brought on by a genetic defect, affects some (rare) people and prevents them from being able to digest lactose from infancy.

Types of Lactose Intolerance

Primary Lactose Intolerance (Normal Result of Aging)

This is the most common type of lactose intolerance. Many people were born with enough lactase. Babies need the enzyme in order to digest their mother’s milk. The amount of lactase a person makes may decrease over time. This is because as people age, they eat a more diverse diet and rely less on milk. The decline in lactase is gradual. 

Secondary Lactose Intolerance (Due to Illness or Injury)

Intestinal diseases such as celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease or a surgery or injury to your small intestine can also cause lactose intolerance. Lactase levels may be restored if the underlying disorder is treated.

Congenital or Developmental Lactose Intolerance (Being Born with the Condition)

Lactose intolerance can occasionally be inherited. A kid who inherits a faulty gene from one or both parents will not produce any lactase at all. Congenital lactose intolerance is the medical term for this condition.

Your infant will not tolerate breast milk in this situation. As soon as human milk or a formula with lactose is administered, they will begin to experience diarrhea. The ailment might be fatal if it is not identified and treated right away. Electrolyte loss and dehydration can result from diarrhea. By substituting lactose-free infant formula for milk, the problem can be readily managed.

Clinical Presentation:

• abdominal cramps
• bloating
• gas
• diarrhea
• vomiting

Diagnosis

• The taking of a history and a physical.
• The most accurate lactose intolerance test is the hydrogen breath test. Patients must abstain from specific meals, medications, and tobacco products prior to the test. A patient will consume a lactose-containing beverage on test day, then breathe into a machine numerous times over the course of a few hours. The presence of lactose intolerance may be indicated by the patient's high hydrogen breath levels. Since this test has the potential to cause severe diarrhea, it is typically avoided in infants and young children.
• The lactose tolerance test checks the blood sugar levels after consuming lactose. The night before the test, a patient shouldn't consume any food or liquids after midnight. They will consume a beverage that includes lactose the day of the test, which might result in gas or stomach ache. After that, for two hours, blood will be examined every 30 minutes. If blood sugar levels do not increase, lactose intolerance may exist. Diabetes patients are not subjected to this test. Additionally, it is typically not performed on infants and young children.

Management

• Limit your intake of milk and other dairy products. The average person may consume 10 g of lactose per day. For instance, this may be a glass of full, low-fat, or fat-free milk. Lactose content is the same in every milk. Different milk products have varying quantities of lactose.
• Including milk and milk products in other meals or drinks. Combining a solid diet (like cereal) with a dairy product (like milk) may lessen or even cure symptoms for some people.
• Milk and milk-based products should be consumed throughout day. Many lactose-intolerant people find it beneficial to consume small amounts of lactose-containing foods throughout the day rather than larger ones all at once.
• Drink or eat something else except milk and milk products. In place of milk and dairy products, you can use soy milk and soy cheese. Nondairy creamers are another option for your coffee. But keep in mind that nondairy creamers may contain more fat than milk does and do not have the same amounts of vitamins and minerals as milk.