Lactose intolerance occurs when not enough of the enzyme lactase is produced in the small intestine . This element helps the body to assimilate food well. It is a problem that can occur from the first months of life; in fact, there are premature babies who have lactose intolerance. On the contrary, according to an article published in Medline Plus, children who are born on time do not usually show this intolerance until they are three years old.
Causes of lactose intolerance
We already know what lactose intolerance is, that is, to milk and all its derivatives, but why does it occur? There are different causes that can cause lactose intolerance:
+ Surgery on the intestine.
+ It can also be caused by infections in the small intestine as a result of a virus.
+ Celiac sprue can also cause lactose intolerance.
Symptoms in the body
The affected person usually feels discomfort after half an hour or two hours after eating if they have taken a dairy product on the menu. He may experience the following ailments: abdominal cramps, diarrhea, bloating, gas, and nausea. In most cases, suppressing discomfort involves eradicating such products from the diet. The discomfort is aggravated to the extent that the person has eaten more products of these characteristics.
Treatment for lactose intolerance
Actually, each case is different since each person is also different, however, specialists usually carry out the following steps:
+ The specialist can perform a lactose tolerance test.
+ The test for lactose-hydrogen can also be performed.
+ Finally, the patient may undergo an enteroscopy .
At a general level, the annoying and uncomfortable symptoms disappear from the patient’s life to the extent that the products that cause discomfort also disappear from their diet. Among the most worrying problems, it is convenient to take into account the possible loss of weight. For this reason, in the event of any alarm signal, it is advisable to be very attentive to the scale in order to go to the doctor as soon as possible.
Of course, in the cases of some patients with lactose intolerance, it is important to keep in mind that the patient may need other formulas to take calcium. In that case, you can take calcium supplements, eat foods such as vegetables, sardines, oysters, broccoli … As a precaution, it is always better to read the label of the products that you put in the shopping cart carefully, since there are products that contain lactose despite not being dairy, such as beer.
Of course, in a case of lactose insufficiency, the first thing the patient has to do on an emotional level is to accept their situation as soon as possible. And also, take care of yourself thanks to the doctor’s instructions.
