Every day we hear the phrase “my child has lactose intolerance” more often, don’t we? And we only become interested in understanding the subject when we go through the situation ourselves. So you’re not caught off guard, learn more about this problem that affects thousands of people, many of whom don’t even know they have it.

Lactose intolerance is a body deficiency that prevents the body from digesting lactose, which is the main sugar found in milk and dairy products. There are three types of lactose intolerance:

  • Congenital lactose intolerance – This occurs from birth. It’s a rare form of intolerance and typically the child inherits the gene from either their father or mother.

  • Primary lactose intolerance – Acquired over the years, usually appearing in old age. This happens when lactase production is reduced, causing lactose intolerance.

  • Secondary lactose intolerance – This type is acquired after a health problem, surgery, or for any reason the child’s immunity is low

People who are lactose intolerant don’t produce enough of an enzyme called lactase, which is the enzyme responsible for digesting lactose in the body. This can cause severe discomforts such as diarrhea, gas, nausea, malaise, and abdominal pain, but nothing too serious that would require a mother to panic, as there is no risk of death. A common question is about the difference between milk allergy and lactose intolerance, and often the symptoms can indeed be confused because they are similar. But in general, milk allergy is very dangerous like any other allergic reaction, as soon as a child with the allergy comes into contact with milk or dairy products, symptoms such as shortness of breath, swelling of the eyes, lips, and other parts of the body may occur, in addition to coughing and sneezing attacks, and a doctor should be sought immediately. What most people don’t know is that 70% of people have some degree of lactose intolerance—mild, moderate, or severe—and may go their whole lives without knowing they have this problem.

How is Lactose Intolerance Diagnosed?

If you notice anything different after consuming milk and dairy products several times in a row, it’s essential to schedule a doctor’s appointment. During the consultation, the specialist will ask about your diet, asking questions about your routine and symptoms, and everything should be described in detail. Usually, the specialist will advise stopping these foods temporarily to see if the symptoms disappear; if they do, further tests are not needed. Otherwise, there are three tests that can be performed to diagnose lactose intolerance:

  • Lactose intolerance test: A dose of a lactose-rich liquid is ingested, and after several minutes, a blood test is performed to check the blood glucose level.

  • Hydrogen breath test: The patient is asked to consume a lactose-rich liquid, and after a few minutes, the specialist checks the amount of hydrogen released in the breath.

  • Acidity measurement: A stool sample is collected from the patient, and the acidity of the feces is measured.

If the result is positive for lactose intolerance, it’s important to know that lactose does not need to be eliminated entirely from your diet—of course, it should be consumed as little as possible. You can replace the calcium from milk with other calcium-rich foods like broccoli, leafy greens, cauliflower, beans, peas, sesame seeds, salmon, and several other foods. Cow’s milk can be replaced by soy milk, rice milk, or oat milk, all of which do not contain lactose.

See also: Lactose Intolerance – How I Found Out and How to Treat

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