Understanding Lactose Intolerance: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Management

Have you noticed tummy bloating, diarrhea, or constipation, and feeling more gassy after eating dairy products? If so, you may be suffering from lactose intolerance. In this blog post, we're going to cover what lactose intolerance is, its symptoms, treatment options, and finally, when you should seek help from your doctor.

First of all, what is lactose and what kind of foods do you find it in? Well, lactose is a sugar found in dairy products like butter, cheese, creams, yogurts, as well as ice cream, to name just a few. These are probably some of the more obvious food groups that you might already have been aware of, but lactose can also be found in many processed foods. These are things like cereals, baked foods, bread, crackers, and cakes. Because of this, it's always worth checking the label to see if a food or a drink contains lactose.

So now we know what kinds of food lactose is in, what is lactose intolerance? Certain people can develop an intolerance to lactose, making them feel ill when they consume it. This is because it causes a negative reaction in the digestive system. Many people do have difficulty digesting lactose, but not everyone experiences noticeable symptoms from it. It's when you start to experience the uncomfortable symptoms that it's called lactose intolerance.

Symptoms of lactose intolerance can start a few minutes or a few hours after having a food or a drink containing lactose. We'll cover some of these potential symptoms now. Common symptoms of lactose intolerance include tummy pain or discomfort, bloating, excessive gas (also known as farting), diarrhea, constipation, or feeling sick or even being sick. You may also notice longer-lasting symptoms, such as a rash, headaches, joint pain, as well as feeling excessively tired.

If you think that you have any of these signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance, you should see your doctor. They are going to ask you some specific questions, especially around your symptoms and their relationship to particular foods. They may also encourage you to keep a food diary. Following this, you might be asked to follow a lactose elimination diet where you stop eating foods containing lactose to see if your symptoms improve.

Depending on your symptoms, you may have blood tests or do a hydrogen breath test. This is where hydrogen gas in your breath is measured to find out how well you digest lactose. If your symptoms are severe and they don't get better, you may need a gastroscopy. This is where a long, thin, flexible tube with a camera is passed down into your stomach. You should also see your doctor if your symptoms keep coming back and happen often after eating, you've noticed changes in your poo that are not usual for you, such as looser poo, pooing more often, or constipation for more than three weeks. You've had blood in your poo for three weeks or more, you have tummy bloating and discomfort for three weeks, or if you've been losing weight without trying to.

So what if you are confirmed to have lactose intolerance? What's the outlook and are there any treatment options? For most people with lactose intolerance, the symptoms can be prevented by reducing the amount of food you eat that contains lactose or by avoiding these foods or drinks completely. Most people with lactose intolerance can't produce lactase naturally, and lactose supplements can help break down lactose. These can be taken as tablets or drops before consuming lactose, but typically the best option for management is just to avoid the lactose-containing food or product.

If you think that your child is lactose intolerant, see your doctor first before removing any dairy products from their diet. It's also worth noting that in some people, lactose intolerance is caused by another health condition, such as celiac disease. In this situation, treating the underlying cause should help. Also, some premature babies are unable to digest lactose because their bowel hasn't developed enough, but this usually gets better as the baby gets older.

I've included lots more information on lactose intolerance in the description box of this video if you want to learn more. Please do leave a comment if you'd like to share your own experiences or found this video helpful. I'd love to hear from you.

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