Lactose intolerance is a condition where someone, upon consuming dairy products, one is unable to digest them. Lactose is a sugar in milk, so it’s present in all dairy products. Even though intolerances are mostly harmless, it can have uncomfortable symptoms.
Lactose intolerance results from the body’s inability to break down lactose. This occurs when your small intestines don’t produce enough lactase enzymes to digest lactose. When there’s insufficient lactase to digest lactose, the undigested product is pushed into the large intestines, where it causes water retention and produces business.
People suffering from lactose intolerance tend to suffer from unpleasant symptoms. Even though these symptoms aren’t life-threatening, they’re still uncomfortable and can interfere with one’s quality of life.
What causes lactose intolerance?
Many factors can contribute to one suffering from this condition. Both children and adults can suffer from lactose intolerance. The main causes include the following:
- Sometimes, the small intestines stop producing sufficient lactase enzymes after injury or illness. Some infections can also cause less lactase enzyme production.
- In some cases, an intolerance to lactose runs in families. So, this means you can suffer from this intolerance if someone in your family has it, too.
- Age can be a factor in this intolerance. Over time, the body can produce fewer lactase enzymes. This can cause you to develop lactose intolerance later on in your adult life or late teen.
- Babies born prematurely tend to have insufficient lactase because their digestive tract hasn’t fully developed as it should. However, for such little kids, this short-term problem eventually solves itself.
- In rare cases, some people are born with the inability to make lactase enzymes.
Lactose intolerance symptoms arise when the undigested lactose gets into the colon. Usually, food is broken down in the small intestines and turned into small molecules that can be absorbed into the bloodstream. When this doesn’t happen due to insufficient lactase enzymes, it passes to the large intestines.
When you have undigested lactose in the large intestines, it causes your large intestines to produce more water and gas. These undigested products trigger the colon to produce more water to help it pass through. Fermentation also happens in the large intestine, thus producing gas. This then causes digestive symptoms like diarrhea and gas, which are common for those with this intolerance.
Signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance
Symptoms of intolerances often occur within 30 minutes to three days after consumption. The amount of time it takes for these symptoms to appear varies from one individual to the next.
Common symptoms include:
- Diarrhea
- Bloating
- Gas
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stomach pain
- Flatulence
The severity of the intolerance symptoms depends on the quantity of lactose-containing products you consume. The more you eat these items, the more severe your symptoms are.
Types of lactose intolerance
There are different types of intolerances to lactose. That’s because different factors cause lactase deficiency in each underlying type.
- Primary lactose intolerance: This kind of intolerance is the most common. People with this one start life producing enough lactase. In fact, it’s common for infants to get all their nutrition from milk; this means their small intestines produce lots of lactase enzymes to break down lactose and get nutrients into the bloodstream. However, this changes once they start feeding on other foods that aren’t milk. Their intestines stop producing a lot of lactase, but their bodies produce only enough to digest milk in a typical adult diet. The production of lactase enzymes can continue declining until one cannot digest milk products.
- Secondary lactose intolerance occurs when you stop producing sufficient lactase enzymes because of an illness, injury, or surgery to your small intestines. Some conditions commonly associated with this intolerance include intestinal infection, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and bacterial overgrowth. When these underlying conditions are treated, one can resume normal lactase production, reducing intolerance symptoms.
- Congenital or developmental lactose intolerance: Although rare, children can be born with an intolerance to lactose. This disorder is thus passed down from one generation to the next in an inheritance pattern known as autosomal recessive. This means that both parents pass on the same gene variant so that the kid can be affected. Sometimes, children can have this intolerance if they’re premature, but this often doesn’t last.
Risk factors of lactose intolerance
Many risk factors can increase your likelihood of suffering from lactose intolerance. These include genes, gut sensitivity, and how bacteria in your gut convert lactose. Factors that can increase your likelihood of this intolerance include:
- Ethnicity: An intolerance to lactose is most common amongst African, Asian, American, Indian, and Hispanic descent.
- Certain cancer treatments: If you’ve undergone radiation therapy for cancer treatment in your stomach, you will suffer from complications risking the development of this intolerance.
- Age: this type of intolerance is more common in adults than babies. That’s because as you age, your small intestines stop producing too many lactase enzymes, and it can cause this intolerance.
- Premature birth: Babes born prematurely often have underdeveloped lactase-producing cells. These cells often develop in the third trimester. Fortunately, this only affects babies for a short time since they develop those cells.
- Small intestines diseases: Problems affecting the small intestines often cause lactose intolerance. However, when such problems are treated, it can be resolved.
How to treat lactose intolerance
The first step to dealing with this intolerance is diagnosis. You can get a diagnosis by taking a Sensitivity Test. Once you’re sure you have lactose intolerance or any other food intolerance, it’s best to avoid that trigger food.
For example, you can avoid all lactose-containing products and add other products to your diet to replace them. When changing your diet, check for calcium when removing milk products.
Since lactose intolerance affects many people, you’ll find many lactose-free products in grocery stores. Choosing vegan items for milk and cheese can help save you from many intolerance symptoms. All you have to do is ensure they’ve been fortified with calcium. You can also add more calcium-rich foods to your diet.
You’ll have to be keener when grocery shopping to look out for products containing lactose and avoid them. You also need t to be keen when eating out to avoid these products.
Final thoughts
Lactose intolerance affects many adults and children worldwide. Even though not severe, the symptoms can affect one’s quality of life. If you’re suffering from digestive symptoms and think dairy products may cause them, you must take a Sensitivity Test. Avoiding dairy products is the best treatment for lactose intolerance. Still, upon accidental ingestion of these products, you can take a lactose pill that contains lactase enzymes to help you digest the daisy products you consume.
