Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Lactose Intolerance and Dairy Sensitivity - How They Differ

It is estimated that as many as thirty percent of all Americans suffer from lactose intolerance, a serious condition that results from a lack of the enzyme lactase, which is required in order to break down lactose in the digestive system. Lactose intolerance is sometimes misidentified or confused with a dairy sensitivity or allergy, but the two conditions are quite distinct with disparate symptoms and root causes. While most dairy sensitivities are relatively minor, in some greatest cases dairy allergies can corollary in serious or life-threatening reactions which may wish immediate hospitalization. For this reason, it's requisite to conclude either an private is suffering from lactose intolerance or from dairy sensitivity before a serious situation develops. There is no cure for either condition, but avoiding the products that trigger reactions is ordinarily an productive treatment for both lactose intolerance and dairy sensitivity.

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Lactose Intolerance
Individuals with lactose intolerance cannot break down the easy sugar lactose found in milk and many other dairy products. As a result, the lactose in these foods passes virtually unchanged straight through the digestive system, creating a wide range of effects along with painful gas, bloating, and severe stomach cramps. These symptoms typically worsen with age, and can be highly uncomfortable, but are not ordinarily serious or life threatening. Treatments comprise lactase supplements and avoidance. Some doctors suggest slowly introducing small amounts of dairy into the diet of lactose intolerant individuals in order to cut the level of intolerance; this ordinarily is an uncomfortable process, however, and has not achieved consistent results.

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Dairy Sensitivity
Dairy sensitivities and allergies are the corollary of a misidentification by the body's immune law of dairy products such as lactose or casein; rather than breaking them down ordinarily as food, the body's defensive law attacks these materials as foreign and releases white blood cells and chemicals along with histamines to try to fight off the misidentified materials. While lactose intolerance and dairy sensitivity share some of the same symptoms along with bloating, excessive gas, cramps, and nausea, dairy sensitivities also can cause skin rashes and eczema, asthma attacks, and upper respiratory congestion. In greatest cases, dairy sensitivities can trigger anaphylactic shock, a serious allergic reaction with symptoms along with hives and itching, heart palpitations, blurring and anxiety to comprise slurred speech, and coughing, wheezing, and difficulty in breathing due to swollen airways. While antihistamines are sometimes prescribed for mild cases of dairy sensitivity, the best treatment is to avoid dairy products containing the offending substances. Some children who exhibit symptoms of dairy sensitivity outgrow the problem in adolescence or adulthood, while others must avoid dairy products for their whole lives.

Lactose Intolerance and Dairy Sensitivity - How They Differ

Sensitive Stomachs

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