Lactose intolerance is a big problem, especially in infants and the smallest children. Interestingly, however, we become more intolerant to lactose with age. How can you tell if your child is lactose intolerant? How to quickly diagnose the disease?
Why is it so hard to recognize lactose intolerance?
It is often difficult for parents to determine definitive lactose intolerance in their child. This is due to the fact that this disease really resembles various types of diseases of the digestive system. Symptoms are often confused with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. A full diagnosis of lactose intolerance should be made by a doctor, because it is easy to make a mistake in this matter.
The most common symptoms of lactose intolerance!
- Frequent abdominal pain. Complaining of pain in the abdomen and lower abdomen
- Colic in children
- Frequent crying caused by colic or pain, with no other apparent cause – in the youngest children
- Abdominal bloating and “sloshing” noises in the abdomen are often observed
- Occasionally vomiting occurs, and a child or adult may experience nausea
- Frequent passing of gas during the day
- Diarrhea and the characteristic appearance and smell of the stool
Lactose consumption and symptoms
Of course, the above symptoms only appear when lactose is ingested. Otherwise, a person with lactose intolerance digests food normally and does not experience the above symptoms. So it’s easy to do a short test at home – if symptoms occur after consuming lactose, we can be sure that the reason for this is lactose intolerance.
It should also be remembered that the more lactose consumed, the more severe the symptoms become. The first symptoms of intolerance will most likely appear only after a few or several hours after consuming lactose.
Milk allergy and lactose intolerance
They are two different types of diseases. Milk allergy is not called lactose intolerance, because the allergy is caused by abnormal functions and functioning of the immune system. Milk allergy, it must be added, is caused by the body’s reaction to milk proteins.
Differences between milk allergy and lactose intolerance:
- The first symptoms of a milk allergy appear immediately after consuming milk
- The first symptoms of lactose intolerance appear several hours after ingesting lactose
- The most predictable symptom of milk allergy is the occurrence of hives on the skin of the patient – so these are quite different symptoms than those occurring with lactose intolerance (listed above)