Lactose intolerance - Magicmaman.com
By MagicMamanShareSend by e-mail I certify that I do not send unwanted e-mailsIn France, nearly 5 million people are affected by lactose intolerance . Although this digestive disorder causes unpleasant symptoms, it does not present a real health hazard.What is lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance is often mistakenly confused with a food allergy. However, a food allergy is linked to a dysfunction of the immune system, while lactose intolerance is a simple digestive problem. The intestine of an intolerant person does not produce enough lactase, an enzyme essential for the digestion of lactose, the main carbohydrate (sugar) in milk. Many factors can explain this lactase deficiency such as the presence of intestinal parasites (in this case, the intolerance is temporary) or a digestive pathology (eg irritable bowel syndrome). In rare cases, lactose intolerance can also be hereditary.
The main symptoms of lactose intolerance
The presence of undigested lactose within the digestive system leads to bloating, abdominal cramps and pain, nausea, as well as diarrhea or constipation. Other more general symptoms can manifest themselves such as headaches, muscle aches and fatigue. Depending on the amount of lactose absorbed, symptoms appear from 15 minutes to several hours after ingestion. They sometimes last several days.
Video of the day:How to detect lactose intolerance?
You can remove all traces of milk from your diet for 2 weeks to see if the symptoms disappear. However, only a doctor can make a diagnosis. The most common screening test is the “Breath Hydrogen Test”: the patient blows into a device that measures the amount of hydrogen exhaled before and after the absorption of a lactose-rich liquid. Digestive bacteria transform undigested lactose into hydrogen: its high concentration thus highlights lactose intolerance. Another possible examination: the lactose tolerance test which measures the patient's glycemia (blood sugar level) via a blood sample. In case of intolerance, the blood sugar does not rise after the absorption of lactose. Finally, very rarely, a genetic test may be proposed to diagnose a hereditary intolerance. A sample of cells is then taken by passing a small brush inside the cheek.
Lactose intolerance in babies and children
Lactose intolerance is extremely rare in toddlers but it becomes more common from the age of 5 years. The main symptoms are gastrointestinal pain, bloating, reflux, stomach cramps, gas, difficulty sleeping well and diarrhea. These are often irritating to baby's delicate buttocks. Removing cow's milk completely from your diet for a week normally stops the symptoms. In the event of proven lactose intolerance, the bottles must then be prepared from a delactosed milk formula (there are several on the market). The child can always consume dairy products containing very little lactose (eg: petit-suisse, fromage blanc) unless these also cause symptoms, but this is rare.
Possible treatments for lactose intolerance
In case of very pronounced intolerance, the best solution is to remove "normal" milk from your diet. You can, however, use delactosed milks and dairy products. They are rich in calcium, which will protect you from deficiencies. There are also lactase tablets to take before consuming a dairy product or synthetic lactase drops to add to milk to aid digestion. The doctor can also determine how much lactose you or your child can consume each day without risk of pain.
Lactose intolerance: what future?
Lactose intolerance does not lead to complications. If its cause is easy to eradicate (eg intestinal parasites), it is even possible to cure it completely. On the other hand, in the other cases, iI must take dietary precautions all his life so as not to suffer from the symptoms. Thanks to the new lactose-free products on the market, this is fortunately much easier than in the past.
Read also: Share
