Allergy to milk

Reactions to milk and dairy products are different, but not all of them are associated with allergies – there is also lactose intolerance and they should be distinguished.

Lactose intolerance. It occurs when there is not enough lactase in the stomach and intestines, an enzyme that breaks down the milk sugar lactose. Normally, lactose should be broken down during digestion into two other sugars – glucose and galactose. And they are already absorbed by the body. If this mechanism is broken, lactose enters the intestine in an undigested form and under the action of bacteria, fermentation processes begin there. The result is bloating and flatulence. This is a fairly common occurrence – in Europe, lactose intolerance occurs in 10 – 20% of the population. And in Asian countries – up to 90%.

Allergy to milk. This is a disease in which the human immune system does not respond adequately to milk proteins. She considers them hostile and begins to secrete antibodies that cause an allergic reaction.

Milk contains different types of proteins. For example, there are 25 of them in cow’s milk. The main one is casein, it makes up 80%. If an allergy occurs specifically to him, then all types of milk are contraindicated for a person, as well as dairy products – yogurt, kefir, sour cream, cream, butter, cheese, cottage cheese and ice cream. In addition, products that contain the so-called hidden milk will be banned – it is included in the composition. These are milk chocolate, sweets, sausage, margarine, confectionery and pasta.

Another type of allergy is an allergy to whey proteins. They are sensitive to heat and are destroyed when milk is boiled. In this case, you can drink milk, but after heat treatment.

Some people are allergic to one type of protein, which is not found in all types of milk. Allergies can be caused by cow’s milk, but it does not happen to goat’s or sheep’s.

Allergies can be caused by proteins that are found in both milk and meat (beef, veal). For example, bovine serum albumin. If there is an allergy to it, then the person will be allergic to raw beef, for example, tartar.

Causes of milk allergy

Usually there are 3 factors that can cause an allergy to milk:

• genetic predisposition – if parents have such a problem, then most likely it can also occur in children;
• immature immune and digestive systems in children – up to 2 years old, a child has a very loose mucous membrane in the intestines and it is not able to fully break down milk components, as a result, large molecules enter the bloodstream, which causes an allergic response;
• abnormal course of pregnancy in the mother – oxygen starvation of the fetus, stress, the birth of a premature baby.

All this can provoke an allergy to milk in a child. This problem usually resolves by age 5. But sometimes, in about 1% of cases, milk allergy can remain for life.

How does milk allergy manifest?

The symptoms of a milk allergy can manifest themselves in different ways and in principle they are no different from any food allergy.

From the digestive system:

• abdominal pain, cramps;
• bloating and flatulence;
• constipation;
• vomiting;
• gastritis.

From the side of the skin:

• dermatitis;
• rash;
• hives;
• eczema.

From the side of the respiratory tract:

• sneezing;
• coryza;
• dyspnea;
• bronchial asthma;
• angioedema.

In some cases, allergies can take severe forms:

• severe form of laryngeal edema and, as a result, suffocation;
• anaphylactic shock.

In severe cases, you should immediately call an ambulance, because such conditions can be deadly.

Milk allergy treatment

The main thing in the treatment of allergies is the right diet, which the doctor should make. Milk is an important source of calcium, so you need to choose products that replace it.

But apart from this, other methods of treatment are used.

Diagnostics

First of all, the doctor should interview the patient to find out if relatives have the same allergy. In addition, it turns out how the allergy manifests itself, whether to all dairy products.

To determine the allergen, skin tests are used, in which various types of potential allergens are applied to the skin, and then small cuts or punctures are made in the skin – if a reaction occurs, for example, blisters, then the immune system is reacting to this particular (or several) allergens. But this study is carried out strictly without exacerbation, more often a laboratory blood test is done to determine antibodies to a suspected allergen, which makes it possible to identify not only the milk allergen, but also its numerous proteins, such as casein and serum albumin.

Modern treatments

Your doctor may prescribe an antihistamine to relieve symptoms such as a rash and cough.

If the allergy to milk and dairy products goes away in a mild form, then most often all therapy consists in eliminating the allergen from the diet. But the diet should be selected and prescribed by a doctor, taking into account the characteristics of your body, concomitant diseases and other factors. Often, in addition to milk, beef is also excluded from the diet.

Prevention of milk allergy at home

The easiest and most reliable way to prevent milk allergy is to refuse it and dairy products if they also cause allergies. However, it is important to read the labels of products, because some may contain milk, even if it seems that it cannot be there. And it is, for example, in instant soups, sausage and breakfast cereals.

And, of course, you need to see a doctor so that he makes the right diet – it should be not only safe, but also useful.

Popular questions and answers

Popular questions that people with milk allergies have, we discussed with allergist-immunologist, Ph.D. Anastasia Tsyvkina.