Dairy intolerance or also called as lactose intolerance is the condition whenever your body is unable to break down a type of natural sugar called lactose. Since lactose is commonly found in dairy products such as milk and cheese, there is no doubt that people often called it as dairy intolerance. A person could be classified to have the dairy intolerance whenever their small intestine stops making enough enzyme lactase to break down the lactose. So, in this article, you will find the symptoms that could be the sign whether you have the dairy intolerance or not. Check it out.
Causes of Dairy Intolerance
Before you know all of the possible symptoms related to the dairy intolerance, first you need to know all of the common causes of dairy intolerance. Here are various causes related to dairy intolerance:
- Inherited Forms. Inherited forms are the causes of dairy intolerance that commonly passed on through families. There are two types of inherited forms, which are primary lactose deficiency that causes low level of lactose, and congenital lactose deficiency, which is causing the lack of lactose from birth.
- Secondary Lactose Deficiency. This secondary lactose deficiency could occur whenever there are something that damages the cells in the lining of your upper gut which produce lactose. This condition commonly occurs soon after you have the stomach infection and also could be the complication of bowel diseases.
- Developmental Lactose Deficiency. This developmental lactose deficiency is commonly occurring in a baby. So, when a baby is born, the build up of lactose in the digestive system will take some time. Baby who have the premature labor would have lack of lactose level, which will lead them to temporary lactose intolerance. But, this condition commonly will disappear as the baby grows.
After you already know all of the causes of dairy or lactose intolerance, now it’s time for you to know all of the possible symptoms related to dairy intolerance. Here are the common symptoms of dairy intolerance.
- Diarrhea
There is no doubt that diarrhea could be classified as one of the most common signs that you have the dairy intolerance. So, diarrhea could be characterized by the watery stools or a frequent need of bowel movement. The question is, what can cause diarrhea? Diarrhea could be the sign that there is a bacterial or viral infection and a food allergy. So, it is pretty clear whenever you have the dairy intolerance, you will have the watery stools.
In case you have diarrhea because of food allergy, you can induce the home remedies. You need to make sure that you always replenish your body fluids because you will lose a lot of fluids. In severe cases, you will need the fluids through the intravenous therapy. But in most cases, this diarrhea would be dissapeared as the time goes by.
- Unintentional Weight Loss
Whenever you have the dairy intolerance, one of the most common signs that you would likely to get is unintentional weight loss. So, unintentional weight loss is commonly described as the condition whenever you’re suffering from the weight loss without any apparent reason. You could lose some weight although you don’t have enough physical exercise or reduced the portion of your meals. Since the unintentional weight loss could be caused by abdominal discomfort, there is no doubt that this symptom would occur whenever you have the dairy intolerance. If you have the unintentional weight loss due to abdominal discomfort, tell the doctor right away.
- Nausea
Nausea is also one of the common symptoms that would be occurred whenever you have dairy intolerance. So, nausea is the condition that occurs whenever you have the discomfort feeling in around your stomach. Whenever you have nausea, you will feel that you want to vomit, but are not actually vomiting. Since nausea could be caused by food poisoning and food allergy, there is no doubt that you will suffer from nausea whenever you have dairy intolerance.
In case you have nausea, you could do some home treatments by following these tips:
- Only eat light and plain food, such as bread and crackers.
- Drink cold liquids.
- Avoid any activity after you’re eating.
- Eat smaller portion of meals, but more frequently.
- Vomiting
This symptom would be more likely to occur alongside with nausea. in most cases, whenever you have the dairy intolerance, you will suffer from both nausea and vomiting. Vomiting is the condition that commonly described as the uncontrollable reflex that expels the content in your stomach through the mouth. Although vomiting also could be occurred by bacterial and viral infection, but the most common causes of vomiting is food poisoning and food allergy.
In case you’re vomiting, you could do some home treatments by following these tips:
- Drink plenty of fluids to remain hydrated throughout the day.
- Get adequate time to rest.
- Avoid solid foods.
- Avoid using medications that would make some discomforts in your stomach.
- Black Tarry Stools
This is also a symptom that could be the sign that you have dairy intolerance. Black tarry stools could be described as the condition whenever you find that the color of your stools become black. So, since black tarry stools commonly caused by the irritation in your esophagus or stomach, there is no doubt that dairy intolerance could also lead you to black tarry stools. This symptom commonly treated according to the underlying cause of this symptom. In case you have black tarry stools because of dairy intolerance, you need to stop the consumption of milk and other dairy products as soon as possible.
- Bloody Red Stools
Aside from black and tarry stools, you could also possibly suffer from the bloody and red stools. Bloody and red stools is the condition whenever you find out that the color of your stools become dark red. Although this symptom could be the strong sign that you’re having the cancerous or benign polyps in the colon, but you could also suffer from this symptom whenever you have the Crohn’s disease and food allergy, including dairy intolerance. Same as the black and tarry stools, bloody and red stools could be treated based on the underlying causes. in case you have this symptom because of dairy intolerance, you need to stop consuming milk and other dairy products.
- Unexplained Fatigue
Whenever you have the dairy intolerance, you will also be more likely to suffer from unexplained fatigue. Although fatigue in most cases is a common condition, but whenever you feel so tired without any apparent reason at all, that could be the sign that you have medical conditions, including dairy intolerance. So, whenever you have unexplained fatigue, you need to know the reason behind it, whether you consume a dairy product or not. In case you have persistent fatigue soon after you’re consuming dairy products, that means that you have dairy intolerance and you need to stop consume them immediately.
- Abdominal Pain
This is also the possible symptom that could occur whenever you have dairy intolerance. So, abdominal pain is the condition whenever you feel some discomforts around your stomach. Abdominal pain could be crampy, intense, and sharp. Since the abdominal pain could be occurred because of inflammation and intestinal disorder, there is no doubt that dairy intolerance would be one of the most common causes of abdominal pain. Specifically, you will suffer from abdominal pain that getting worse soon after you consume one of dairy products in case you have abdominal pain that caused by dairy intolerance. So, you need to stop to consume dairy products as soon as possible.
- Fever
Although fever is a common medical condition and could be occurred because of many possible things, but you need to consider that you have dairy intolerance whenever you have persistent fever as soon as you consume one or more dairy products. Fever is the condition that commonly described as the elevated temperature of your body. The elevated temperature is your body response to fight against illness. So, in case you already have fever because of dairy intolerance, you could do some home treatments by following these steps:
- Make sure that the room temperature where you’re resting is comfortable enough.
- Stop taking dairy products in the future.
- Drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day.
- Taking a regular bath with lukewarm water.
- Pain Whenever Having Bowel Movements
This is also one of the most common symptoms that you would likely to suffer whenever you have dairy intolerance. So, since dairy intolerance could cause the infection in your gastrointestinal and also could cause some inflammation in it, there is no doubt that you will feel the pain whenever you have the bowel movements. So, in case you feel the pain whenever you have the bowel movements, you need to stop consuming dairy products and you need to seek the medical attention as soon as possible so that the doctor would be able to induce the further treatment.
- Abdominal Bloating
Abdominal bloating will be more likely to occur whenever you have dairy intolerance. Abdominal bloating is the condition that commonly described whenever the abdominal area feels uncomfortably full and gaseous. One of the most common causes of this symptom is dairy intolerance, so you need to watch it out carefully. If you always feel the persistent abdominal bloating soon after you consume one of the dairy products, you need to stop consuming the dairy products because that means that you have dairy intolerance. In case you already have abdominal bloating, you could do the following tips as the home treatments:
- Avoid ‘gassy’ foods, such as beans, lentils, and cabbage.
- Eat slowly, but sure.
- Avoid drinking through a straw.
- Use lactose-free products.
- Flatulence
This symptom would be more likely to occur alongside with abdominal bloating in case you have dairy products. So, flatulence is the condition that commonly described as releasing gas from the digestive system through the anus, which is commonly known as farting. Although flatulence is pretty common condition, but if you have this symptom on a regular basis, that could be the sign that there is something wrong in your body. So, whenever you have the persistent flatulence soon after you consume one of the dairy products, you need to stop consuming it as soon as possible because it means that you have the dairy intolerance. In case you already have the persistent flatulence, you need to eat at smaller portion but more frequent rather than big portion at once. Also, you need to chew your food properly.
- Abdominal Sounds
This is also considered as one of the most common symptoms that you would likely to suffer whenever you have the dairy intolerance. So, abdominal sound is the condition that commonly described as the noises that made within the small and large intestines during the digestive process. This symptom is characterized by the hollow sound that similar to the sound of the water moving thrugh pipes. So, in case you have the abdominal sounds because of dairy intolerance, you need to stop taking dairy products and limiting the intake of the foods that will produce gas, including beans, fruits, carbonated drinks, and whole-grain products.
- Symptoms Appear Quickly Soon After You’re Consuming Dairy Products
This is the obvious symptom that could be the strong indication that you have the dairy intolerance. So, whenever you have the dairy intolerance, those symptoms that already mentioned above could occur in just within one to three hours since you’re consuming the dairy products. But, you need to also remember the amount of dairy products that you just ate and what kind of dairy products that you just consume. The symptoms could be occurred in the morning after you wake up if you’re consuming the dairy products at the night before you sleep.
- Symptoms Dissapear Quickly Soon After You Stop Eating Dairy Products
In case you’re still unsure whether you’re suffering from all of those symptoms that already mentioned above because of dairy intolerance, you need to stop to consume dairy products as soon as possible whenever you’re suffering one or more symptoms that already mentioned above. If the symptoms that already mentioned above disappear at the same time you’re avoiding dairy products, there is a possibility that you’re suffering from dairy intolerance. Whenever you’re not suffering any of those symptoms again in the future whenever you start to avoid dairy products, then it means that you have the dairy intolerance.
- You’re From Specific Ethnic Group
Do you know that the dairy intolerance has a connection with the specific group ethnic? So, according to many health experts, certain ethnic groups have the higher risk of having dairy intolerance. According to them, people who have the Asian’s ethnic background will have the higher risk of having the dairy intolerance. In addition to that, the indigenous people will also have the high risk of developing the dairy intolerance.
- You Feel Sick After Consuming Dairy Products
Another symptom that could be the strong indication that you’re having the dairy intolerance is whenever you feel sick soon after you consume the dairy products. But, one thing that you should remember is that there are varying degree related to dairy intolerance. Some people can tolerate a little amount of dairy products without being sick, while other people will feel sick soon after they consume a little amount of dairy products. In case you’re wondering what kind of dairy products that really easy to digest and probably will not cause a sick feeling soon after you consume it, you need to try yoghurt since this food is really easy to digest compared to other dairy products.
- You Feel Better After Consuming Lactase Enzymes
This is also could be the strong sign that you’re having the dairy intolerance. So, people with dairy intolerance, in most cases, will feel better soon after they are consuming the lactase enzymes in their diet. In case you’re wondering where you can get these lactase enzymes, you could get it from the pharmacies and health food stores. Non-prescription tablet of lactase enzymes before you have a meal would be really beneficial to relieve you from abdominal discomfort and other symptoms that already mentioned above that related with dairy intolerance.
Dairy Intolerance Treatment
So, after you already know all of the possible symptoms of dairy intolerance, you might wonder how could you do to treat the dairy intolerance soon after you’re suffering from the symptoms that already mentioned above. Don’t worry because we already provide you with the information how to treat it. Here are the common treatments related to the dairy intolerance.
- Avoid Dairy Products. One of the most obvious steps that you should do soon after you know that you have he dairy intolerance is always avoiding any dairy products at all cost in the future so that you will not feel the symptoms that already mentioned above.
- Taking Lactase Enzymes. You also need to take the over-the-counter medication such as lactase enzymes that widely available in capsule, pills, and drops before consuming the dairy products. Taking the lactase enzymes would relieve you from the symptoms associated by dairy intolerance and also, it would be beneficial too to prevent you from the symptoms caused by dairy intolerance.
- Taking Calcium Supplements. Whenever you have the dairy intolerance, you need to avoid dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yoghurt. This thing obviously will make you may become deficient in calcium, Vitamin D, and protein. So, it is very important that you consume calcium supplements in order to replenish the body needs of calcium, Vitamin D, riboflavin, and protein.
Dealing With Dairy Products Diet
So, after you find out that you have the dairy intolerance, you need to avoid any dairy products such as milk, cheese, or yoghurt. Aside from that, you need to read the food label carefully whenever you’re in the grocery stores just to make sure that the product that you buy doesn’t contain any dairy ingredients at all. For your guidance, here are the list of foods that classified as the dairy products because these foods contains derived milk as their ingredients:
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Sadly, dairy intolerance couldn’t be prevented and you just can prevent the symptoms of it by consuming fewer or avoiding dairy products at all cost. Alternatively, you could try dairy milk alternatives such as almond, soy, or rice milk.
So, now you already know everything that you need to know related to dairy intolerance. Although this condition couldn’t be prevented, but you can prevent the symptoms of it. It is really depends on you choice of diet. So, stay healthy!