We finish our blog series (check out parts one and two if you missed them) on lactose intolerance by talking about diagnosis and management. Also be sure to check out the recording of our last lactose intolerance webinar that featured gastroenterologist Jeanette Newton Keith’s take on the issues below.
Please clarify the method for diagnosing lactose intolerance and how you distinguish the condition from milk allergies.
Lactose intolerance is a real and important clinical syndrome, but its true prevalence is not known. Lactose intolerance is the syndrome of diarrhea, abdominal pain, flatulence and/or bloating occurring after lactose ingestion. However, while these symptoms may be uncomfortable and disruptive to a person’s lifestyle, it is difficult to confirm lactose intolerance based on digestive discomfort alone. It’s important to identify the true source of discomfort, because it may not be the lactose. Some illnesses can cause these same problems. A physician can help determine if it is due to lactose intolerance by doing a Lactose Tolerance Test or a Hydrogen Breath Test, both of which are reliable ways to measure the lactose absorption in the digestive system. Being lactose intolerant is not the same as having a cow’s milk allergy. A cow’s milk allergy is a reaction to the protein in milk and is triggered by the immune system, not the digestive system, as is the case with lactose intolerance. A true milk allergy will typically present with symptoms like itching, headache, hives and swelling of the lips and tongue, not as gas or diarrhea as it can for lactose intolerance.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: The National Dairy Council's The Dairy Report