Lactose allergy
An allergy to lactose should not be confused with lactose intolerance, even though these terms are often used colloquially. Lactose intolerance is a deficiency of the lactose-cleaving enzyme lactase, which does not cause an allergic reaction. If there is an allergy to lactose, this is accompanied by an allergic reaction.
This means that the body reacts by producing antibodies to lactose. This can manifest itself through various symptoms, such as skin rashes or shortness of breath. Gastrointestinal complaints can also occur. A lactose allergy should not be confused with an allergy to cow’s milk or milk protein.
Diagnosis of lactose intolerance
To test whether a lactose intolerance exists, there are various tests. However, it is often very informative to observe and note down the diet for some time and to record the symptoms that occur, such as gastrointestinal disorders. Typically, the complaints occur after meals that contain a lot of lactose.
If lactose intolerance is suspected, lactose-containing products should be avoided for a few weeks and attention should be paid to whether the symptoms diminish. In addition, a doctor can be consulted for diagnostics, who can perform a so-called hydrogen breath test. This test measures the level of hydrogen in the air breathed.
One measurement is taken before drinking a lactose test solution, the other after. The patient must be fasting for this test. If the patient is lactose intolerant, above-average amounts of hydrogen are produced in the intestine and exhaled.In certain cases, when the results of the hydrogen breath test do not allow a diagnosis to be made, for example when taking antibiotics, another lactose tolerance test may be necessary.
In this test, the blood sugar levels in the blood can be determined after drinking a milk sugar solution. If you have a lactose intolerance, the sugar cannot be absorbed into the blood and the blood sugar levels remain low even after drinking the solution. If there is a lactose intolerance, lactose is usually tolerated to a certain extent anyway.
This varies from person to person and must be tried out by the person concerned. However, if the affected person wants to consume lactose without experiencing any symptoms, he or she can take lactase tablets. These are tablets that contain the lactose-cleaving enzyme lactase, which is present in too small amounts in patients with lactose intolerance.
The preparation is available as powder, capsules or chewable tablets without prescription from pharmacies. Depending on how high the proportion of milk sugar in the meal is, the lactase preparation must be dosed accordingly. The lactase tablets must be taken before the meal.
The lactase contained in them then splits the lactose that is absorbed through the food and supports the body’s own enzyme. Although lactase preparations can make it possible to take lactose-containing foods and drinks from time to time, they cannot replace a permanent change to a low-lactose or lactose-free diet.
