Intolerance to lactose, milk in adults and children: symptoms, causes, treatment. How to determine lactose intolerance in a newborn?

Causes, symptoms and ways of treating lactase deficiency.

Dairy products are indispensable ingredients of the daily menu. They are rich in calcium and protein, which promotes the growth of bones, and also protects the health of teeth, nails and hair. But there are people who do not tolerate milk.

Intolerance to milk, lactose: symptoms, causes

Milk contains a complex compound - lactose, it breaks down into the digestive tract for glucose and galactose, which are then absorbed into the intestines. To the body could split lactose, you need a special enzyme - lactase, which is formed in the small intestine. If there is a lack of production of this enzyme, milk intolerance is observed.

Symptoms of milk intolerance:

• Diarrhea, gasification
• Abdominal bloating
• Abdominal pain
• Spasms

If after receiving dairy products you have similar symptoms, it is worth checking the concentration of lactase. This can be done in the laboratory.

Lactase deficiency may be congenital, but is extremely rare. Most often doctors diagnose the acquired intolerance of milk. It arises from such ailments:

• Ulcerative colitis
• Gastroenteritis
• Bacterial intestinal infections
• Allergy
• Crohn's disease
• Celic acid
• Viral bowel disease

Even ordinary food poisoning can lead to milk intolerance.

Intolerance to milk

How to determine lactose intolerance in newborns and infants?

In infants, lactase deficiency manifests itself vividly. This is due to the fact that the baby is born with a practically sterile stomach. It does not have the necessary microflora for digesting lactose. But this is easily corrected, first you need to make sure of lactase deficiency.

Symptoms of milk intolerance in infants:

• Regurgitation with a fountain
• Anxiety in the chest or in a bottle with a mixture of
• Liquid stool with white lumps
• Sour stool odor

lactose intolerance in newborns and infants

Lactose intolerance analysis

Symptomatic assessments are not sufficient to diagnose,usually doctors prescribe additional studies.

Analyzes for lactose intolerance:

• Analysis for sugar .This is a common analysis, which is often given to people with diabetes. During the test, a person early in the morning on an empty stomach gives blood. After that, he drinks a glass of milk and then goes back to the laboratory for analysis. At normal splitting of lactose, the level of sugar significantly increases. If there is lactase deficiency, then the indicators will not change much
• Analysis for hydrogen. This is a study of exhaled air. With a huge amount of hydrogen after taking milk, one can judge about lactase deficiency
• Mucosal studies. Simply put - this is a study in which a piece of mucosa is taken and its structure is studied. Now this type of research does not apply

Analyzes for lactose intolerance

Genetic lactose intolerance

Genetic intolerance is common to all newborns. After all the kid is born on light, without what or inhabitants in an intestine. After the first application to the breast, the intestines colonize the microorganisms. By the age of one year all symptoms associated with lactase deficiency disappear.

There is a category of people who do not produce lactase at all. Accordingly, they have to live without the use of dairy products. This feature is associated with the mutation of the gene, because of which the intestine does not work correctly.

Genetic lactose intolerance

Allergy of lactose intolerance

There are different concepts that people confuse. Allergy to milk and intolerance are various ailments. With allergies in the body, a lot of histamine is formed. With insufficient lactase, the body simply can not digest milk.

To clarify the diagnosis should contact a gastroenterologist or allergist. It is enough to pass a blood test for allergens and feces.

Allergy of lactose intolerance

Which foods contain lactose?

Despite the confidence of many that lactose is found only in milk and fermented milk products, this is not the case. Strangely enough, this protein is contained even in saccharin and tablets.

products containing lactose:

• Ice
• Dairy
• Chocolate
• Puree bags
• Bakery
• Pastry and Baking
• Fast food
• ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise
• Soups in bags
• Meats

Products containing lactose

Canreplace them with lactose-free cheese and milk?

• It all depends on the diagnosis, if you are allergic to lactose, then in lactose-free milk or cheese, the milk protein remains unchanged
• You will still have loose stools, lacrimation and skin rashes. If you have lactase deficiency, then you can safely eat products without lactose
• In such products, lactose is already split into galactose and glucose, respectively, in your body the product will not need to be split
• . In general, the composition of products is similar to that of conventional dairy products. In cheese and milk, proteins, calcium and micronutrients are contained.

Lactose-free milk

Lactose intolerance medications

It all depends on the type of ailment. Children up to a year are often prescribed drugs with lactobacilli, they will heal the microflora and allow the intestines to work normally.

Lactose intolerance medications:

• Lactase
• Lactase
• Lactozym
• Maxilac
• Lact-Aid

All these drugs make up for lactase deficiency and are effective for genetic lactase deficiency in children.

Lactose intolerance medications

Lactose intolerance

treatment When it comes to acquired lactase deficiency, it is necessary to cure the underlying ailment. That is, you need to drink antibacterial and antiviral drugs for colitis and gastroenteritis.

After elimination of the main problem, the production of lactase will be adjusted. After antibiotic therapy, lactobacilli formulations are often prescribed:

• Linex
• Lactovit
• BioGaa
• Lactiale

If a genetic intolerance associated with impaired lactase production is confirmed, the patient is given a diet. The whole diet should not contain lactose. In this case, the patient will be prescribed calcium preparations and vitamins.

Self-limiting the consumption of milk and dairy products can not. It is necessary to find out the cause of milk intolerance and eliminate it.

Linex for lactose intolerance

Lactase deficiency is a complex and widespread disease that affects 16% of the earth's population. Only 1% of patients have a genetic lactase deficiency, which is treated by refusal of dairy products. Refuse milk with secondary insufficiency is impossible.

VIDEO: Lactase deficiency