Lactose intolerance: what it is, symptoms, types and treatment

Lactose intolerance is a syndrome caused by a decrease or lack of lactase in the body, which is the enzyme responsible for the digestion and absorption of lactose, a sugar present in milk and dairy products, such as yogurt, butter, ice cream and cheese.

This difficulty in digesting and absorbing lactose can cause some signs and symptoms, such as abdominal bloating, excess gas, diarrhea, abdominal pain and headache. Learn about other signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance.

Lactose intolerance can appear in the first days of life, in adulthood, or it can occur due to the presence of situations, such as chemotherapy treatment, Crohn’s disease or gastroenteritis, for example. The diagnosis of lactose intolerance is made by a doctor, through the evaluation of signs and symptoms, and tests and examinations, such as respiratory and oral tests, and blood and stool tests.

Main symptoms

The main signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance are:

• Excess gases;
• Stomach ache;
• Diarrhea;
• Nausea;
• Headache;
• Swollen belly;
• Tiredness;
• Decreased concentration and memory.

Furthermore, in more serious cases, lactose intolerance can also cause muscle or joint pain, weight loss, dehydration, delayed child growth and death.

Symptom Test

To find out the risk of lactose intolerance, select the symptoms you present in the following test:

The symptom test is only a guidance tool and does not serve as a diagnosis and does not replace consultation with a gastroenterologist.

How to confirm the diagnosis

The diagnosis of lactose intolerance must be made by a gastroenterologist, or general practitioner, who will evaluate the signs and symptoms presented and the person’s health history, and may also recommend the removal of foods containing lactose, such as milk, yogurt and cheese, from the diet. diet for 2 weeks to see if there is an improvement in symptoms.

If you want to check your risk of lactose intolerance, make an appointment with the gastroenterologist closest to you:

In addition, the doctor may also order some tests to confirm the diagnosis, check possible causes and the amount of lactase that the body still produces, such as a respiratory test, oral lactose tolerance test, stool and blood tests. See all exams and tests to diagnose lactose intolerance.

Types of lactose intolerance

According to age and the presence of some health conditions, lactose intolerance can be classified as primary, secondary or congenital:

1. Congenital lactose intolerance

This type of intolerance is very rare and appears in the first days of life after ingesting lactose, through breast milk or other types of milk, causing intense diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, difficulties gaining weight and the presence of mucus. in the baby’s feces. Learn about other causes of mucus in your baby’s stool.

Genetic lactose intolerance occurs when the baby’s body is unable to produce the lactase enzyme due to a genetic alteration, being a serious situation that, if not identified early, can lead to death.

2. Primary lactose intolerance

This type of lactose intolerance is the most common and occurs due to a decrease or lack of the lactase enzyme in the intestine, caused by a natural process in the body over the years.

However, in some adults genetic changes may occur that maintain normal lactase production, allowing the digestion of lactose and preventing the emergence of intolerance.

3. Secondary lactose intolerance

Secondary lactose intolerance is a condition that may be temporary and is caused by damage to the intestinal cells responsible for producing the enzyme lactase, as in the case of rotavirus, gastroenteritis, medications (antibiotics and chemotherapy), radiotherapy, chronic diarrhea, celiac disease , bacterial intestinal infections.

Possible causes

Lactose intolerance can be caused by a genetic change that prevents the production of the lactase enzyme or it can be caused by a natural decrease in the production of the lactase enzyme with advancing age.

In addition, some situations that cause damage to intestinal cells, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatments, the use of oral antibiotics, chronic diarrhea, Crohn’s disease, bacterial, viral and protozoal infections, such as giardia and amoeba, can also cause lactose intolerance.

Difference between CMPA and lactose intolerance

Cow’s milk protein allergy, or APLV, is a reaction of the immune system to one or more proteins present in cow’s milk, such as casein, lactoglobulin, lactalbumin, serum albumin and immunoglobulins.

APLV occurs when people ingest or have skin contact with products, such as cow’s milk and its derivatives, such as ice cream, cheese, butter and cakes, causing signs and symptoms such as hives, vomiting, diarrhea and growth retardation. childish. Learn about other symptoms of CMPA.

Lactose intolerance is a difficulty that the body has in digesting and absorbing lactose, due to the decrease or absence of the enzyme lactase in the intestine, mainly causing symptoms such as excess gas, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

How the treatment is carried out

The treatment of lactose intolerance must be carried out under the supervision of a doctor and a nutritionist, where it is recommended to reduce or exclude the consumption of milk and its derivatives, such as butter, yogurt, cheese and ice cream. Check out other foods that should be avoided if you are lactose intolerant.

In primary intolerance, the recommendation is to reduce lactose consumption, maintaining a maximum of 15 g of lactose per day, which is equivalent to 300 ml of milk or 300 g of yogurt, for example, which should be divided into 2 meals or more along the day. However, reducing milk and dairy products in the diet may not reduce the signs and symptoms of intolerance in some people, and it is recommended to take the lactase enzyme along with meals that contain lactose.

In cases of secondary intolerance, it may be advisable to completely exclude milk and its derivatives from the diet for 1 month or more, until the intestine recovers. However, this exclusion must always be guided and monitored by a doctor or nutritionist, to avoid deficiencies in important nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A and phosphorus.