A Comprehensive Guide to Lactose Intolerance:

Lactose intolerance is a digestive disorder caused by the inability to digest lactose, the main carbohydrate in dairy products. It’s very common, affecting around two-thirds of the world’s adult population at minimum

Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance

Lactose intolerance is caused by a deficiency in lactase ,the enzyme that breaks down the sugar in milk, called lactose. Common symptoms include bloating, abdominal cramps, nausea, and diarrhea.

If you’ve ever felt a foreboding rumbling in your stomach shortly after eating, you may have wondered whether you’re lactose intolerant.

Lactose is a type of sugar found in milk products. Some people are unable to digest it properly, leading to unpleasant digestive symptoms after dairy intake.

This article reviews what lactose intolerance is, along with how it’s diagnosed and treated.

What are the Various Signs of Lactose Intolerance Entail?

Lactose intolerance is a type of digestive disorder whereby an individual or a certain population cannot digest lactose which is a type of sugar that is found in products such as milk and other diary products. This is due to the failure in the synthesis of a specific enzyme known as lactase from the cells facing the small intestinal tract. If lactase is not produced in sufficient amounts or when it is not produced at all, then the consequences are as follows:

The common symptoms of lactose intolerance are similar to those of an irritable bowel syndrome and they typically manifest several hours after taking food or drink that contains lactose. These symptoms can include:

Bloating:

This is a sensation or a painful enlargement of the stomach like swollen belly or bloated.

Diarrhea:

This is a condition where one experiences vomiting and or has diarrhoea which is normally stool that is loose or nearly watery and is normally passed soon after one has taken or drank a product containing lactose.

Abdominal cramps and pain:

They are usually very serious in nature and may develop in any location within the abdominal cavity.

Gas and flatulence:

Flatulence is therefore considered to be a mere sign of candida together with bloated tummy and passing of gas than usual.

Nausea and vomiting:

Some individuals, including children, may actually have a hardship in digesting lactose and may even get queasy or nauseous and vomit.
The effects of lactose intolerance may range from mild to severe and depends on how much lactase the person can produce or ingested lactose products. But while a particular amount of lactose may not affect some people, it can have a reaction on others merely from its presence in the diminutive amount.

Again, some of the above symptoms may be caused by other conditions such as IBS or celiac disease in the digestive system. Hence, if one experiences this symptoms, it is important that he or she should see a doctor in order to get the right diagnosis.

Managing lactose intolerance can be a struggle, but when people understand the condition and the steps that can be taken to make it easier to live with, then it is possible to lead a normal healthy life. It helps to similarly know what the symptoms of this condition are in order to better be able to manage them.