Diagnosis of lactose intolerance

To confirm the presence of lactose intolerance, the diagnosis can be made by a gastroenterologist, and it is almost always necessary, in addition to the symptom assessment, to do other tests, such as breathing test, stool test or intestinal biopsy.

Lactose intolerance is the body's inability to digest the sugar present in milk, lactose, causing symptoms such as colic, gas and diarrhea, which appear moments after eating this food.

Although it is usually diagnosed in childhood, adults can also develop lactose intolerance, with symptoms more or less intense according to the severity of the intolerance. See a more complete list of the symptoms of this intolerance.

1. Observe the symptoms of lactose intolerance

If you think you may have lactose intolerance, select your symptoms to find out the risk:

1. Swollen belly, abdominal pain or excessive gas after consuming milk, yogurt or cheese Yes No
2. Alternating periods of diarrhea or constipation Yes No
3. Lack of energy and excessive tiredness Yes No
4. Easy irritability Yes No
5. Frequent headache that arises mainly after meals Yes No
6. Red spots on the skin that can itch Yes No
7. Constant pain in the muscles or joints Yes No

These symptoms usually appear moments after eating cow's milk, milk products or products that are prepared with milk. Therefore, if any of these symptoms appear, you should try the food exclusion test for 7 days to see if the symptoms disappear.

Symptoms can also manifest with more or less intensity according to the degree of inability to produce lactase, which is the enzyme that digests cow's milk.

2. Take the food exclusion test

If you suspect that cow's milk does not digest well, try not to consume this milk for 7 days. If within these days you have no symptoms, get tested and drink some milk and then wait to see your body's reaction. If the symptoms return, it is possible that you have lactose intolerance and cannot drink cow's milk.

This test can be done with all foods that are prepared with milk, such as cheese, butter, pudding and food, for example. And depending on your degree of lactose intolerance, the symptoms may be more or less severe.

Here's how to go on a diet without including lactose.

3. Go to the doctor and get tested

To make sure it is lactose intolerance, in addition to taking the food exclusion test, you can do tests such as:

Stool examination: measures stool acidity and is very common to detect lactose intolerance in babies and young children. Exhaled air test: measures the abnormal presence of hydrogen in the exhaled air after ingestion of lactose diluted in water. Learn how to take this exam. Blood test: measures the amount of glucose in the blood after taking lactose diluted in water in the laboratory. Bowel biopsy: in this case, a small sample of the intestine is analyzed under a microscope to identify the presence or absence of specific cells that determine lactose intolerance. Although very useful, it is less used because it is more invasive.

These tests can be ordered by the general practitioner or allergist in case of suspected lactose intolerance or when the food exclusion test leaves some doubts.

It is very important to diagnose and treat lactose intolerance, because this is a condition that causes unpleasant symptoms and affects the absorption of important nutrients for the body.

Treatment for lactose intolerance

The treatment of lactose intolerance consists of excluding cow's milk and everything that is prepared with cow's milk as cake, biscuit, biscuit and pudding, from the diet. However, sometimes a person can take a supplement of lactase, which is an enzyme that digests milk, when he needs or wants to eat some food prepared with cow's milk.

Lactase can be purchased at the pharmacy or at a pharmacy, and is very easy to use. This enzyme can be added to the cake recipe or can be ingested moments before eating these foods. Some examples are Lactrase, Lactosil and Digelac. Another possibility is that charcoal capsules relieve symptoms after a person has ingested some source of lactose and can be useful in an emergency.

Cow's milk is rich in calcium, which is important for maintaining bone health, so people who have lactose intolerance should increase their consumption of other calcium-source foods such as prunes and blackberries, for example. See other examples at: Foods rich in calcium.

However, there are several levels of lactose intolerance and not all of them need to stop eating dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt, because these foods have a lower amount of lactose, and it is possible to eat a small amount at one time or another.

See how to ingest the amount of calcium needed in the video:

Breast milk also contains lactose, but to a lesser extent, thus, mothers who breastfeed infants who have lactose intolerance can continue breastfeeding without problems, eliminating dairy foods from their own diet.