Lactose Intolerance vs Dairy Allergy
Lactose intolerance and dairy allergy sound a lot alike. Many people think they’re the same thing. But, how they’re caused (and how they affect your body) are very different.
Lactose intolerance involves the digestive system: If you have it, your body doesn’t make lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose. That’s the sugar in milk. Instead of digesting normally in your stomach and small intestine, undigested lactose moves into your colon, where it’s broken down by bacteria and causes bloating and gas. It can be uncomfortable, but it’s not dangerous.
Lactose intolerance is common in adults – about 30 million Americans have it by age 20. It’s more common in people with Asian, African or Native American heritage and less common in people with a northern or western European background.
Dairy allergy involves the immune system: If you have it, your body reacts to the proteins in milk and other dairy products as if they’re dangerous invaders. It releases substances that cause allergy symptoms. This allergic reaction can be mild (rashes) to severe (trouble breathing, loss of consciousness).
Dairy allergy is one of most common allergies, especially in children. As many as 2 in every 100 children under 4 years old are allergic to milk. It’s even more common in babies.
Symptoms
Some symptoms of lactose intolerance and dairy allergy may be the same:
- Diarrhea
- Nausea; sometimes vomiting
- Abdominal cramps
- Bloating
- Gas
But dairy allergy can also cause a reaction in other parts of your body, including the skin and lungs.
.Rash
.Hives
.Swelling, often in the lips and face
.Wheezing
.Tightness in throat
.Trouble swallowing
There may be blood in the stool (poop) too, especially in babies.
Anaphylaxis is a serious, life threatening allergic reaction and often begins minutes after you eat a food you’re allergic to, but sometimes it can happen hours later. It usually involves more than one symptom in more than one part of your body at the same time.
If you have a severe allergy or if you’ve ever had anaphylaxis in the past, talk to your doctor about carrying an injectable epinephrine to slow down or stop the allergic reaction.
Am I More Likely to Have Dairy Allergy?
You’re more likely to develop a dairy allergy if:
- You have other allergies
- You have eczema
- One or both of your parents has a food or other allergy, like hay fever, eczema or asthma
- You’re young. Milk allergy is more common in children. As you get older, your digestive system is less likely to react to milk, but you’re more likely to have lactose intolerance.
