Are you Lactose Intolerant?

Lactose intolerance is an inability to digest lactose, a milk sugar. Symptoms of lactose intolerance usually begin 30 minutes to two hours after consuming dairy foods or beverages. The severity of the symptoms depends on how much lactose you consumed and how much you can tolerate.

here are the symptoms:

• Abdominal discomfort or colicky pain (pain that come and goes in waves).
• Abdominal distension, flatulence or wind (due to excessive gas in the bowels).
• And Diarrhea in some cases.

People who lack in the enzyme lactose, which is normally produced in the small intestine, are unable to breakdown lactose into a form the body can absorb. Undigested lactose passes intact into the colon, where bacteria ferment it, producing gases. The undigested lactose also draws which can cause diarrhea. People who are deficient in lactase or lack sufficient amounts of the enzyme may suffer discomfort when they take in dairy products like milk and chesse. Gastrointestinal conditions like celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease can reduce the production of lactase.

Just avoid foods that are high in lactose, including milk, ice cream and cheese, also avoid ingredient like whey, dry milk solids, and nonfat dairy milk in food products. You can try lactose-reduced milk and dairy products, that's available in some supermarkets. Experiment is some food with dairy products that contain less sugar, including yogurt and cottage cheese, because some people with lactose intolerance are able to digest small amounts of yogurt at a time.

Call your doctor if the symptoms of lactose intolerance occur for the first time. Nausea, cramping and diarrhea resemble other conditions or medical problems that should be ruled out. There are several ways to diagnose lactose intolerance. An avoidance trial is the easiest. Patients are put on a dairy-free diet for two weeks to see if the symptoms vanish. Your doctor can also do some diagnostic tests, including checking stool sample or ordering a hydrogen breath test to measure the level of hydrogen in the breath after drinking a dairy product. High level of hydrogen signal means poor lactose digestion. Consult your doctor immediately if diarrhea is causing dehydration or other health risks.