
Common Signs of Lactose Intolerance
A vast amount of the world’s population is affected by lactose intolerance, making it one of the most prevalent digestive disorders. Intolerance of the milk element lactose is the body’s inability to effectively digest lactose, a sugar element found in products with dairy in them. Unlike lactose intolerance, milk allergy (or casein allergy) affects not only the part of the body that supports digestion but the entire body.
Persons who suffer from milk allergies, treat milk like a foreign object and release histamine to fight it, often causing tightening of the airways and in some cases, life-threatening anaphylaxis. However, symptoms connected to the intolerance of lactose, are as follows:
1. Diarrhea or loose stools
Diarrhea happens because the body didn’t digest lactose properly in the small intestine, allowing water to go to the digestive tract. Upon arriving at the lower end of the digestive tract, the lactose becomes fermented, which forms gas and short-chain fatty acids. The severity of diarrhea or loose stool depends on how much lactose the body can tolerate and how much was ingested.
2. Increased gas or bloating
Because of the fermentation of lactose and excess gas production, the abdomen gets extended; this can occur shortly after lactose consumption. Bloating can become so severe, causing clothing to become tight around that section of the body; this often causes concern, but it can be treated with medicines.
3. Constipation
This is explained as having less than three or more bowel movements weekly. Research reveals that approximately 27 percent of people have suffered from it. Also, people who suffer from gas and bloating are likely to be constipated. Dairy is a popular agent of constipation. It is recommended that drinking lactose free organic milk instead of cow’s milk can alleviate this bowel issue.
4. Stomach pain
Having stomach cramps is a sign of the intolerance of lactose. Because the body cannot effectively brake lactose, it moves to the colon, where it ferments, releasing gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen. The release of these gases causes stomach pain; this pain is normally situated around the navel area. The mass of gas created interestingly has nothing to do with how much milk is taken into the body; it has to do with how sensitive someone is to the lactose found in milk. Therefore lactose intolerance symptoms vary between individuals Also, this sensitivity can cause things such as nausea.
5. Headaches
Food that contains a lot of fat, such as milk, can trigger headaches. Phosphoproteins are also called casein, which is a part of milk, and is also a trigger for migraines. To get relief from dairy, causing headaches, doctors try to eliminate all casein traces from a patient’s diet. Casein is normally written as Calcium Caseinate or Sodium Caseinate on labels and is found in processed foods, sports drinks, and processed tuna. Staying away from foods like these and instead consuming milk without lactose can help in alleviating a severe headache.
6. Mouth ulcers
Different types of products like milk, yogurt, and cheese can cause mouth ulcers or, as it is more commonly known, canker sores. Doctors have come to the conclusion that there is something found in dairy that causes canker sores. A reaction to cow’s milk can cause canker sores to flare up. If an individual is having a recurrence of canker sores, it is suggested that they stop consuming dairy products, especially those containing animal milk. Instead, they can opt to consume lactose-free organic milk, oat milk-based products, and vegan cheese gradually to see if there is any improvement.