What is Lactose Intolerance?
By: AlbrightTotal Views: 161, Word Count: 542,
The inability of a person to digest lactose and dairy products is known as lactose intolerance. In such a condition a person is unable to metabolize lactose. This is due to the deficiency of an enzyme called lactase in the digestive system. So here is an answer to the question, “what is lactose intolerance”.
Lactase is an enzyme, produced by the cells lining the small intestine. Lactase gets broken down by lactose into glucose and galactose which are then absorbed into the blood stream.
It is estimated that during adulthood around 75% adults worldwide show some drop in lactase activity. This doesn’t mean that all people with lactase deficiency will have lactose intolerance. Some of them can tolerate a certain amount of lactose in their diet. The frequency of lactose intolerance is almost 90% in some Asian and African countries, while it is only 5% in northern Europe.
Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance
Anyone suffering from lactose intolerance may show the following symptoms after consuming food containing lactose:
- Nausea
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Intestinal gas
- Abdominal pain
A person may feel uncomfortable within 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating milk products.
What is Lactose Intolerance and Milk Allergy
People often get confused between lactose intolerance and milk allergy. Milk allergy is a type of food allergy triggered by the immune system on consumption of one or more milk proteins. This can be life threatening too and mostly occurs in the first year of life. Lactose tolerance is a problem of the digestive system and generally occurs in adulthood.
Diagnosis of Lactose Intolerance:
It is hard to diagnose lactose intolerance based on the symptoms alone. Bowel syndrome or some digestive problems show symptoms similar to lactose intolerance. So it’s always better to consult a doctor if such symptoms are seen. The doctor checks the medical history of the person and performs a physical examination. He/she may recommend eliminating all milk based products for a small duration to see if the symptoms resolve. To get more information, few tests are conducted like:
Hydrogen Breath Test: In hydrogen breath test, a person drinks a beverage loaded with lactose. Generally 50 grams of lactose is dissolved in water to prepare the solution. Then the patient’s breath is analyzed to measure the amount of hydrogen in it. This is done at regular intervals and test takes around 2 to 3 hours to get completed. In normal cases, very small quantity of hydrogen is detected in the breath, but in case of lactose intolerance, the level of hydrogen is quite high.
Stool Acidity Test: Stool acidity test is used to diagnose lactose intolerance in younger children and infants. This is being done to measure the amount of acid in the stool. Lactose that remains undigested produces lactic acid and other fatty acids. These acids get detected in a stool sample. As a result of undigested lactose, glucose can also be found in the stool.
What is lactose intolerance, its symptoms and diagnosis are well explained over here. Anyone found with the above given symptoms, must consult a physician before it is too late.
About the Author
John sterling is a well known physician who has done his graduated from the Louisiana State University Medical School, New Orleans. He is practicing as a general physician from last 10 years. He has a good knowledge of treating patients with problems using clinical best practices and protocols. He gives individualized, updated, personal attention to his patient at the uppermost level of clinical efficiency. His special interests are Neuro Somatic disorders, heart diseases, neurological disorders, join pains and chest diseases. Currently he is working at Kindred hospitals.
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