Lactose Intolerance Symptoms Headache Constipation Dairy and Allergies

https://www.healthnfitnessadvise.com

Lactose-Intolerance-www-healthnfitnessadvise-com

Do you have any idea what the leading cause of allergies and food intolerances is today? It is Milk.

In other words, lactose intolerance is a prevalent and distressing health condition that affects not just millions but billions of people around the world.

Just to have an idea the US Department of Human Health Services approximates that close to sixty-five percent of the human population in the world has trouble digesting lactose after infancy, that's almost seventy percent of us.

The worst part is that even though this is a hundred percent true fact, we're still buying and taking home all sorts of lactose products that are damaging our health without us knowing it. Milk, Cheese, Yogurt, Ice cream you name it.

So in this article, we shall discuss some signs and symptoms that indicate there is a milk or milk product intolerance that is not being good for you, and how to replace it to stay healthy naturally and effectively.

There's a big difference between lactose intolerance and a milk allergy. Lactose intolerance is more of a discomfort and subtle damage to our system.

Instead of that overreaction of the immune system that is caused by an allergy. So milk, cheese, ice cream, etc., are all lactose-containing products, and they can cause tens of different signs and symptoms of intolerances in the human body even though many times you might not even notice them.

Some of the worst include for example bloating, gas, and diarrhea, but not all of them come in the aggressive ways we are used to seeing.

WHAT IS LACTOSE INTOLERANCE

Lactose intolerance is a health condition it is a situation of the stomach’s failure to digest lactose, meaning the inability to properly digest the amount of sugar naturally residing in the milk. Lactose is comprised of two molecules of sugar, number one glucose and the second one is galactose.

Patients with Lactose intolerance have poor activity of the enzyme lactase, which plays a vital role in breaking down lactose into glucose and galactose. Lactose intolerance condition can also be a result of celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, or infectious enteritis.

Almost the majority of the world’s population faces Lactose intolerance. It is observed most prevalent in those of East Asian descent, and also people of Arab, Jewish, Greek, Italian, and West African descent. Almost five percent of those of Northern European descent are suffering from lactose intolerance, because of a long history of their dependency on unfermented milk foodstuffs as their food source.

There are numerous signs and symptoms to recognize lactose intolerance. These signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance can occur within thirty minutes to several hours after consuming milky or dairy products.

The cruelty of the symptoms usually depends on the ratio of deficiency of lactase enzyme, the enzyme particularly needed to digest lactose as discussed earlier. Moreover, there is unevenness among lactose intolerant patients regarding the symptoms experienced.

So below are some signs and symptoms that indicate there is a milk or milk product intolerance that is not good for you, and how you can replace it to stay healthy naturally and effectively.

Lactose Intolerance Signs

Stomach Pain and Bloating

Stomach pains, digestive disorders, and bloatedness are usually known signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance in both adults and children. You see when the body isn't able to break down lactose, it passes through our intestines untouched until it reaches the colon.

Once inside your colon lactose starts to ferment and bacteria within it start to form gas resulting in bloating.

This fermentation causes the release of short-chain fatty acids as well as gas including hydrogen, methane, and even carbon dioxide.

Sadly this is where gases start to lead to stomach pain and cramps.

Now the amount of bloating and pain is interesting, not related to the amount of lactose you are ingesting.

It is actually independent of it. It has to do a lot with how much sensitivity an individual has in feeling this distension.

If you are eating or drinking products containing lactose, and you are experiencing bloating and pain, you might be suffering from lactose intolerance.

Lactose Intolerance Signs
Diarrhea

Let's think about this for a moment. Diarrhea usually occurs when the body finds it necessary to expel any substance that is causing harm, maybe a toxin bacteria, etc.

Lactose intolerance causes diarrhea by increasing the volume of water in your colon, which increases the volume and liquid content in the stool.

This is usually more common in babies, young children, or even adults. And you see the microflora in your stomach ferments lactose into short-chain fatty acids and gases. What's leftover increases the amount of water inside your system, needing your body to release it out of your colon as soon as possible, causing diarrhea.

On many occasions, 45 grams of carbohydrates must be present in the colon to cause diarrhea, and sometimes not even that.

Now obviously there are many other causes of diarrhea apart from lactose intolerance. These can sometimes be for example diet, many kinds of malabsorption, medications, infections, and even inflammatory bowel diseases.

In any case, you definitely need to look into it and make sure that you are not suffering from diarrhea, making sure that this is not lactose intolerance.

Lactose Intolerance Signs

Skin Conditions

You'd be surprised to see how many skin conditions appear as a result of lactose intolerance. They're just incredible.

There are even multiple research studies that support a link between acne and for example, dairy consumption, not to mention eczema and other skin conditions.

We've observed several patients eliminate dairy products after going through countless treatments for tens of other conditions in the skin.

We need to understand that most of the skin conditions we have start with digestive or immune dysfunction.

If we change our diets and eliminate the problem within there's no way our skin will keep showing signs of distress.

And we'd say more if you have any skin condition the first thing you should be thinking about doing is, eliminating lactose intolerance, and any food that can potentially cause allergies or intolerances. That's a fact.

Lactose Intolerance Signs

Increased Gas Production

Have you ever wondered why there's lactose intolerance? In the first place, you see the human body needs a specific enzyme to digest lactose. This enzyme is called lactase, most of us stop producing this enzyme after our fourth year of age and this is where our problems start.

Believe it or not, the vast majority of people today are lactose intolerant, specifically because there is no real capability of producing that enzyme that digests milk.

If we had lactase, our body wouldn't be producing such a large amount of gas or intolerances in its intestines.

The only solution there is to this problem really is lactase. This enzyme is responsible for being able to digest lactose.

Now there are supplements that you can take to improve the digestion of milk derivatives, digestive enzymes for example that will not only improve your digestion of lactose but of other hundreds of substances found in any type of food.

We suggest you find a good digestive enzyme formula and you should use it whenever you have that excess gas production or problems with digestion.

Lactose Intolerance Signs

Headaches and Constipation

Suffering from headaches and constipation due to lactose intolerance is not rare. It's actually very common.

Constipation for example is characterized by the formation of hard infrequent stools, feelings of incomplete bowel movements, and stomach discomfort maybe even bloating and excess straining. All of these can be an indication of lactose intolerance.

Although it's a much rarer symptom than diarrhea for example.

Now what's more common in constipation is many times a headache. Patients suffering from lactose intolerance can sometimes feel headaches and never know where they are coming from.

So be very careful because a headache can usually be telling you that something is not functioning well inside your liver or your digestive system.

We always guide the patients that the best thing to try for a headache is eliminating certain foods to make sure that these foods are not causing any intolerances.

Obviously, there would be more signs and symptoms related to this subject which cannot be covered in a single article, for that we are hoping to update it in future. However, we should also put some light on migraines that are related to Lactose Intolerance.

Migraine

Migraines are a troubling condition that can occur at any time in human life causing plenty of discomfort. For example pain, vomiting, nausea, sensitivity to sound and light, and migraine when it attacks someone the effect can last for a long time from minutes to hours, even for days.

Medical treatments to cure migraine conditions are available, however, preventing it as a whole can be somewhat difficult. Though there are numerous different factors that can become a cause of migraine headaches, some of them are mentioned below.

Causes of Migraine Headaches

Hormonal Variations

This cause is quite common in females, especially in adult women for example fluctuations in estrogen-type females are often observed before and during a menstrual cycle period, during menopause, and pregnancy.

These hormonal ups and downs can cause migraines to occur. Hormonal medical practices such as oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy may also contribute to deteriorating migraines.

Sensory Stimuli

Anything that unusually over-stimulates the human senses, predominantly sound, sight, and smell, can easily trigger a migraine in the human body.

Use of perky lights for example experiencing to face sparkling lights of a concert show, sun glare or very loud voices and sounds, and robust scents like deodorants, perfume, and similar chemicals can trigger migraines in some types of people.

Food Intolerances

A large number of people who suffer from migraines found avoiding specific diets and foods perhaps inflammatory meals such as dairy or gluten that seems to be a main trigger of migraines for some people.

Food allergies are naturally hasty to detect because of their instant reaction while food intolerances can be a bit tricky to catch. The research study is delivering an increasing amount of indication that possibly there can be an immune-related reaction to foods that may not function through the identical mechanical response as standard allergies.

In brief, the signs and symptoms may vary, and these intolerances may not be recognized on typical allergy tests. The occurrence of signs and symptoms generated from food intolerances can be delayed approximately between one to one hundred twenty hours making it complex for individuals to identify which particular food could be causing and triggering their migraines.

One research study done in connection with linking migraines to lactose intolerance has concluded that almost seventy-two percent of the study group to be lactose-malabsorbers, which means almost seventy-two percent of the people were found almost unable to fully absorb lactose due to having a lactase deficiency in their bodies.

Moreover among of those seventy-two percent of people, almost half percent of individuals showed a noteworthy escalation in headaches when ingesting lactose. The remainder of that study group who were not at all lactose intolerant, astonishingly, also recognized an increase in headaches after their lactose absorption.

Food Additives

There are various additives found in foods that are connected to triggering migraines. For example, some chemicals that are used to preserve food, enhance its taste, or maintain food color can be triggers for headaches. These include:

Monosodium glutamate (MSG): It is frequently found in fast food or processed food everywhere.

Aspartame: It is generally found to be a sweetener replacement in a lot of beverages.

Nitrates and nitrites are usually observed in processed meats such as bacon and cold cuts.

Yellow dye number 6 is yet another thing that is often found in different sodas and chips.

Sleep-Related Changes

It is observed in some people who were habitually used to getting too much sleep or inadequate sleep had faced migraines. Almost thirty percent to fifty percent of such individuals also experienced disturbed sleep.

Beverages

There are certain beverages including alcohol and drinks with caffeine that are common triggers causing migraines. Alcoholic drinks, specifically wine, have some ingredients containing byproducts named congeners. These particles are associated with headaches.

Alcoholic intake besides performing other unhealthy functions in the human body also insists the human immune system to generate much histamine which escalates inflammation throughout the human body and in this way can lead to headaches.

Furthermore, caffeine-filled drinks for example coffee in some cases have been also found linked to trigger migraines. The chances of facing a migraine rise when someone consumes almost three times or more caffeinated beverages every day.

Stress

Almost everyone in his life experiences stress either at home or at work.

Sometimes it becomes tough to overcome this situation and facing a high level of stress can wreak havoc on the human body and trigger migraines.

Let's Differentiate The Migraine And Lactose Intolerance

Migraine and lactose intolerance are two distinct medical conditions that affect individuals in different ways. Following is a thorough differentiation between these two health conditions:

Migraine

Definition: Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent, severe headaches often accompanied by other symptoms like sensitivity to light, noise, and smells, as well as nausea and vomiting.

Migraine Cause

The exact cause of migraines is not fully understood, but they are believed to involve a combination of genetic, environmental, and neurochemical factors. Abnormalities in brain activity and blood flow are thought to contribute to the onset of migraines.

Symptoms Of Migraine Symptoms Can Vary Widely But Often Include:

Unbearable throbbing and pulsing pain, which points usually on one side of the human head.

Sensitivity to light, sound, and smells.
Nausea and vomiting.

Visual disturbances (aura) such as flashing lights or blind spots (not always present).
Fatigue and difficulty concentrating.

Triggers:

Migraines can be triggered by various factors including stress, hormonal changes (such as menstruation), certain foods, sleep disturbances, and sensory stimuli.

Diagnosis:

Migraines are diagnosed based on the patient's symptoms and medical history. There's no definitive test to diagnose migraines, so doctors often rule out other potential causes of the symptoms.

Treatment:

Migraine treatment can involve lifestyle changes, trigger avoidance, and medications. Pain relief medications, preventive medications, and triptans (a class of medications specifically designed to treat migraines) are commonly used.

Lactose Intolerance:

Definition:

Lactose intolerance is a digestive disorder characterized by the body's inability to fully digest lactose, an amount of sugar originating in milk as well as dairy products, because of a deficiency of the enzyme called lactase.

Lactose intolerance Cause:

Lactase deficiency is the primary cause of lactose intolerance. Lactase is needed to break down lactose into simpler sugars for absorption in the small intestine. When there's insufficient lactase, undigested lactose moves into the large intestine, where it can cause gastrointestinal symptoms.

Lactose intolerance Symptoms:

Lactose intolerance can lead to various gastrointestinal symptoms, which typically occur within a few hours of consuming lactose-containing foods or drinks, and can include:

Bloating and gas.

Diarrhea.

Stomach cramps and discomfort.

Nausea.

Lactose intolerance Triggers:

Lactose intolerance is triggered by consuming foods or drinks that contain lactose, such as milk, cheese, ice cream, and certain processed foods.

Lactose intolerance Diagnosis:

Lactose intolerance can be diagnosed through various methods, including the lactose intolerance hydrogen breath test, lactose tolerance test, and observing symptom response after removing lactose from the diet.

Lactose intolerance Treatment:

The primary treatment for lactose intolerance involves avoiding foods and drinks that contain lactose. Lactase supplements are available over-the-counter and can help some individuals tolerate small amounts of lactose.

In summary, migraine and lactose intolerance are distinct conditions affecting different systems of the body. Migraines are neurological disorders characterized by severe headaches and various associated symptoms, while lactose intolerance is a digestive disorder resulting from the inability to digest lactose due to insufficient lactase enzyme. It's important to consult with a medical professional for the proper diagnosis and management of these conditions.

Lactose Intolerance By Race?

Genetically, it is possible that you likely inherit your condition of being lactose intolerant from your parents, and likewise they inherited the same from theirs.

It has been observed in a large number of people, that lactose intolerance commences its development as a toddler and becomes more complex as you grow up, this is because the human body decreases or eradicates to produce an important enzyme called lactase, the vital element that explodes the milk sugar lactase.

Furthermore, this is also necessary to note, that when folks discuss being lactose intolerant, mostly they use a collective term to explain a very few distinctly different maladies such as intolerance, maldigestion, allergic reactions to cow’s milk, and similar responses from dairy products.

The milk of Cow catches much attention because it is considered to be the main offender, with cheeses and yogurts contributing to a much lesser extent.

What Happens If You Ignore Lactose Intolerance?

If you ignore lactose intolerance and continue to consume lactose-containing foods and beverages, several uncomfortable and potentially disruptive symptoms can arise.

These symptoms occur due to the body's inability to properly digest lactose, leading to its fermentation in the large intestine by gut bacteria. Over time, repeated exposure to lactose without addressing lactose intolerance can have several consequences:

Gastrointestinal Discomfort:

The most common and immediate consequence of ignoring lactose intolerance is the development of gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, gas, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. These symptoms can vary in severity and may occur shortly after consuming lactose-containing foods.

Digestive Distress:

Continuous consumption of lactose, when lactase levels are low, can lead to chronic digestive discomfort. The ongoing fermentation of undigested lactose in the colon can contribute to a feeling of ongoing bloating and gas.

Diarrhea:

Ignoring lactose intolerance can lead to recurrent bouts of diarrhea. Diarrhea occurs as a result of the increased water content in the colon due to the osmotic effect of undigested lactose, leading to more liquid stool.

Nutritional Concerns:

Lactose intolerance can affect nutrient absorption, particularly if dairy products are a significant source of calcium and vitamin D in your diet. If you continue to consume lactose-containing foods, you might miss out on these important nutrients, potentially leading to calcium deficiency and weakened bones over time.

Impact on Quality of Life Due To Lactose Intolerance:

The discomfort and disruption caused by ongoing gastrointestinal symptoms can significantly affect your quality of life. You might find yourself avoiding certain social situations or favorite foods to prevent discomfort, leading to a reduced enjoyment of meals and activities.

Compromised Gut Health Due To Lactose Intolerance:

The uncontrolled fermentation of lactose by gut bacteria can disrupt the balance of gut microbiota, potentially leading to gastrointestinal imbalances and related health issues.

It's important to note that the severity of symptoms varies from person to person, and some individuals with lactose intolerance might be able to tolerate small amounts of lactose without experiencing significant discomfort.

However, if you suspect you have lactose intolerance, it's recommended to consult a healthcare professional for proper diagnosis and guidance on managing your condition. Managing lactose intolerance typically involves adjusting your diet to avoid lactose-containing foods and considering lactase supplements when necessary.

Thanks for reading this health info article, we hope this article will help you understand what is lactose intolerance and how to cope with it. If you have found it informative, then kindly share it with your friends and family.