Bloating in the abdomen is a frequent complaint, and occasionally it feels like having a big belly just happens. Although there are various reasons why bloating occurs, many individuals are shocked to hear that dairy foods may be the culprit. Moreover, this could indicate lactose intolerance. Lactose, a sugar, can be found in milk and milk-based products. Lack of the enzyme results in lactose remaining undigested and drawing water into your gut, which causes bloating. I would advise you to reduce your intake of dairy for around two weeks to determine if it is the cause of your bloating. Then gradually and in little amounts add it back in. Maintain a journal where you may record everything you consume, how much you consume, and how it makes you feel.
Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance
After eating food that has lactose in it, most of the symptoms and signs are visible thirty minutes or two hours later. Typical warning clinical signs include:
- Diarrhea, Gas
- stomach pain
- nausea and occasionally vomiting
- Bloating
Causes of Lactose Intolerance
Whenever the small intestine doesn’t create enough of an enzyme to break down milk sugar, lactose intolerance develops.
Most clinical symptoms of lactose intolerance are brought on by an interaction between regular bacteria and undigested lactose in the gut. Lactose intolerance has three different types.
- Primary lactose intolerance
The most typical type of primary lactose intolerance is present from birth in all affected individuals. Lactase is required by infants, who obtain all of their nutrients from milk.
The quantity of lactase that children generate typically decreases when they switch from milk to other foods, but it typically stays sufficient enough to absorb the quantity of dairy inside an average adult’s diet. Primary lactose intolerance is characterised by a significant decline in lactase production by maturity, which makes milk products challenging to digest.
- Secondary Lactose intolerance
Lactose intolerance that develops later
This type of lactose intolerance happens if your small intestine reduces lactase synthesis as a result of an infection, an injury, or small intestine surgery. Conditions including intestinal infection, celiac, bacterial overgrowth, and Crohn’s disease are linked to secondary lactose intolerance.
- Developmental or innate lactose intolerance
Babies with lactose intolerance brought on by a deficiency of lactase are unusual, but not impossible. Because this condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner from one generation to the next, both parents must carry on the same gene mutation for a kid to be afflicted. Due to low levels of lactase, premature newborns might potentially develop lactose intolerance.
Risk elements
You or your child may be more susceptible to lactose intolerance due to the following factors:
- Advancing years
Adulthood is when lactose intolerance typically manifests.
- Ethnicity
The majority of people with lactose intolerance are of African, Asian, Hispanic, and American Indian origin.
- Birth before term
The cells that produce lactase in the small intestine don’t grow till the end of the third trimester, premature infants may have lower amounts of lactase.
- Ailments of the small intestine
Lactose intolerance can happen by celiac ailment, bacterial infection, and Crohn’s illness,among other small intestine conditions.
- Certain cancer therapies
Your chance of getting lactose intolerance rises if you’ve received radiation therapy for stomach cancer or intestinal side effects from chemotherapy.
Conclusion
See a doctor or dietician for assistance if you’re still experiencing bloating after reducing your lactose intake or are finding it tough to avoid it entirely. If they believe that a full dairy elimination diet is the best option for you, they should be able to point you to the appropriate place, provide a breath test to see if you were, in reality, lactose intolerant, and guide you through it.
