Common Problems – Lactose Intolerance

Many people have varying degrees of lactose intolerance, which is  the condition where their bodies cannot easily or effectively digest the milk sugar called lactose.  Those who are lactose intolerant may have abdominal bloating, diarrhea, gas or severe abdominal pain after eating or drinking dairy milk products.

It is not a real allergy. The small intestine either does not make any or enough of the digestive enzyme called lactase which digests lactose. Insufficient lactase production can be due to:

• Genetics – people in certain families just do not make any or enough.
• Digestive diseases or infection
• Injury to the small intestine
• Prematurity but this usually resolves rather quickly as the infant ages
• A baby being born too early, also called a premature baby. This type of lactose intolerance is often a short-term problem that goes away.

Lactose intolerance can be treated with avoidance, substituting with  lactose-free or dairy-free products or taking replacement lactase enzymes prior to eating dairy products.