Lactose intolerance. This term is familiar to some mummies of newborn babies, as well as to those whose body cannot normally accept milk food.
What is this disease? What are its causes and symptoms? How to overcome ailment? And is it possible to somehow prevent its occurrence?
You will find all this (and much more) in our article!
What is lactose?
Lactose is a carbohydrate found in milk and dairy products, sometimes called milk sugar. For the human body, it is very important and useful.
For example, lactose stimulates the formation of beneficial bifidobacteria, activates the production of vitamins C and B, promotes the absorption of calcium and serves as a source of energy.
Also, this organic substance can be used as a food supplement to improve the taste and quality of products such as toffee, marmalade, chocolate and even sausage.
Very often, lactose is used for medicinal purposes, for example, during the production of penicillin, as well as for the manufacture of infant formula. From lactose, a very valuable drug is obtained - lactulose, which is used to treat serious intestinal diseases, effective for constipation, dysbiosis and other ailments of the gastrointestinal tract.
However, despite the use of lactose in medicine, it is rejected in some people, which causes digestive disorders and causes a lot of inconvenience and discomfort.
Why is this happening?
The specifics of the disease
The fact is that such an enzyme as lactase is responsible for the absorption of lactose. He takes part in the hydrolysis of the disaccharide of this carbohydrate, so the enzyme deficiency constantly affects the digestion of milk and dairy products.
Lactose, previously insufficiently split in the body, reaching the large intestine, begins to cause unpleasant pain. It is noteworthy that some people suffering from this type of disease are generally not able to process dairy products, and therefore do not even touch them. Other patients can gradually digest lactose products, so they periodically consume milk and any of its varieties in small doses.
Lactose intolerance most often occurs in adults than in children. It is noteworthy that it affects mainly Americans, Asians and Africans. Europeans as a whole suffer from this disease very, very rarely.
What are the causes of lactose intolerance?
Causes of the disease
The fact that a person cannot tolerate this type of carbohydrate is often influenced by reasons beyond his control.
For example, with age, the human body begins to produce less and less enzymes to process lactose.
In addition, sometimes a hormonal or genetic malfunction affects this ailment. Sometimes children are already born with congenital lactose intolerance.
In addition, gastrointestinal diseases such as gastroenteritis, dysbacteriosis, ulcerative colitis, chemotherapy, intestinal injuries and others can affect the effectiveness of the breakdown of milk sugar.
How to determine that you or your child are lactose intolerant?
Anxiety symptoms in children
It should be remembered that for each individual lactose intolerance manifests itself in different ways. However, there are a number of basic manifestations of this ailment. In total, this is bloating and gas.
How to determine lactose intolerance in infants? Symptoms can be very pronounced and intense.
First of all, observe how the baby feels when breastfeeding. Does he reach for his chest or refuses food, realizing that it will hurt?
Does he fall asleep sweetly after feeding, or does he regurgitate milk and cry loudly?
In general, a strong, sudden and repeated crying of a newborn often suggests that he is worried about colic and abdominal pain. This may be due to lactose intolerance.
You should also pay attention to the feces of the baby. Does a pungent sour smell come from him? Is the stool frequent and frothy with a lot of mucus?
When examining a sick baby, bloating is also detected.
Symptoms of an adult
How does lactose intolerance manifest in adults?
Symptoms of this disease are as follows:
- sharp periodic abdominal pain (following the use of dairy products);
- diarrhea (frequent and watery);
- flatulence (bloating and loud gases);
- nausea.
Effects
Against the background of the symptoms of lactose intolerance described above, other alarming manifestations can also occur. First of all, it is:
- restless sleep;
- weight loss;
- headache;
- constant fatigue;
- irritability and bad mood.
If a newborn has a neglected form of intolerance to milk sugar, then it is accompanied by a delay in growth and development.
What to do if you find in yourself or your baby the above symptoms?
Diagnosis of the disease
Of course, it is necessary to consult a doctor who will prescribe the necessary examination and conduct an analysis of lactose intolerance in order to verify the correctness of the diagnosis.
First of all, the doctor may advise you to pass the baby's feces for acid analysis. If the indicator is below 5.5, then, most likely, there is intolerance to milk sugar.
Also, the attending physician will definitely recommend to refrain from breastfeeding and the use of mixtures using lactose. If the condition of the child improves, it means that he has lactose intolerance.
By the way, the rejection of dairy products will be relevant for a sick adult. This will help him determine if the lactase enzyme is really reduced in the body.
Also, the doctor may ascribe a sample for the content of hydrogen during exhalation. If the hydrogen ratio is higher than 20, then you should sound the alarm.
And here is another way to diagnose the disease - a blood test for sugar. Sometimes it will be necessary to take blood several times to detect lactose fluctuations.
So, the diagnosis is made. Getting to the treatment!
Treatment of the disease in infants
Treatment for lactose intolerance in children and adults can be very different.
If the disease occurs in a newborn, then, first of all, it is necessary to monitor the nutrition of a nursing mother. She should use, with the permission of the pediatrician, preparations with lactase, an enzyme for the proper digestion of lactose, which, when ingested with milk, will help him break down milk sugar.
To improve the structure of intestinal microflora, you may need to use drugs such as Linex, Bifidumbacterin and others. Folk remedies can also help here, which should be used with extreme caution and prudence.
For example, with bloating and colic, a light broth of chamomile and weak fennel tea can help, which it is recommended to give the baby three times a day, one teaspoon or 50-70 ml, respectively.
Moreover, herbal decoctions of coriander, fennel, anise and chamomile will help improve the digestion of the child. Such weak gulls can be given three or four times a day, ten drops or less.
To eliminate the symptoms, you can also use medications, such as Smecta, Espumisan, Bobotik and others.
Often, a complete rejection of breastfeeding and the transfer of a child to artificial lactose-free feeding may be necessary. Such an important step should be taken only after consulting with your doctor.
However, we discussed a set of methods for treating lactose intolerance in children. How to be an adult?
Treatment of ailment in adults
Often, the treatment itself in adults is manifested only in a complete and categorical rejection of milk and dairy products. And still remember that lactose is found not only there. Products containing this carbohydrate include sausages and sausages, spices and instant food sets, muffins and chocolate, chewing gum and vodka, as well as almost all fast-food products.
If you are terrified of the above list, do not be discouraged - there are many products without milk sugar! Diet for lactose intolerance includes the use of useful ingredients such as:
- vegetables, fruits, berries;
- coffee, tea, juices;
- honey;
- rice, all cereals, pasta and legumes;
- soy, nuts and eggs;
- home-made alcoholic drinks (beer and home-made wine).
However, do not rush to completely switch to dairy-free nutrition - listen to your body. Perhaps, in accordance with your well-being, you will be able to use dairy products in small doses from time to time. In addition, it is worth considering to switch to lactose-free milk and cheeses, which are sold in some supermarkets.
What to remember when dieting
It is imperative to remember that a complete rejection of dairy products is a huge deficiency of calcium, which is necessary for bones and the entire body. Therefore, try hard to eat foods rich in this trace element.
It can be:
- soy and nuts;
- greens and sesame seeds;
- sardines in oil and dried fruits;
- shrimp and olives;
- oatmeal.
Often it may be advisable to take drugs rich in calcium, as well as other minerals - magnesium, sodium and phosphorus.
What about babies? How to enrich their body with useful trace elements with lactose-free nutrition?
First of all, the baby can be fed with broccoli puree and liquid oatmeal. It is also necessary to give the baby a preparation with vitamin D. Here it should be remembered that the main source of this vitamin is, of course, the sun. Therefore, walk with your baby more often and do not be afraid of the gentle morning sun.
As you can see, lactose intolerance is a rather complicated and unpleasant disease. But this does not mean that all your life you will be deprived of pleasure to eat tasty tidbits. On the contrary, thanks to an adjusted diet and a wise approach, you can enjoy even more nutrition and you will feel like a full, completely healthy person!