Milk Allergy or Lactose Intolerance
Channel: MEDWIKI
Date: 2023-08-27

#Milkallergy#Lactoseintolerance#healthcare Do you know about cow's milk allergy? It's actually a pretty common food allergy that can affect both infants and adults.

One thing that people often get confused about is the difference between milk allergy and lactose intolerance. They're actually two different conditions with different causes and symptoms. With milk allergy, certain proteins in cow's milk are seen as invaders by the immune system, which can lead to a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. On the other hand, lactose intolerance is caused by difficulties in breaking down and digesting lactose, the primary sugar in dairy products.

There are three types of milk allergy: IgE-mediated, mixed IgE and non-IgE mediated. IgE-mediated milk allergy causes immediate symptoms due to serum-specific IgE antibodies produced after exposure to trigger proteins. Symptoms occur within 20-30 minutes, but can occur up to two hours after consuming dairy products. Non-IgE-mediated milk allergy does not involve specific antibody production and reactions are usually delayed, with symptoms appearing between two and 72 hours after drinking cow's milk. Mixed reactions involve both IgE and non-IgE responses and are usually delayed.

Lactose intolerance occurs when the body can't digest lactose properly. This is because lactose needs to be broken down into glucose and galactose before it can be absorbed. When the body can't produce enough lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose), undigested lactose passes to the colon, where it's taken up by bacteria. This can cause gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, flatulence, bloating, stomach cramps, and fatigue.

Distinguishing between milk allergy and lactose intolerance is crucial as each requires a different treatment. Cow's milk allergy affects around 2-3% of children under three, with risk factors including sex, atopic conditions (such as asthma and eczema), family history of food allergy or atopy, and potential cross-reactivity with other milk proteins like goat, ewe, horse, camel, and buffalo milk.

Source:-https://www.livescience.com/what-is-a-milk-allergy

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