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It is very important to know the difference
between food allergy and food intolerance. These terms are often used
interchangeably when there is an adverse reaction to food, but they
do not mean the same thing.
Food
Allergy Occurs when
Food Intolerance
- Is an adverse reaction to a food
that does not involve the immune system
- Triggered by a physical reaction
to a food or food additive
- i.e. lactose intolerance
See the table
below to compare.
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What
are the symptoms of milk allergy? |
An allergy is caused when an allergen
(for a list of other common allergens click here) enters our body
system. The symptoms of a milk protein allergy fall into 3 types
of reactions:
Skin Reactions:
- Itchy red rash
-
Hives
- Eczema
- Swelling of lips, mouth, tongue,
face or throat
- Allergic "Shiners" (black eyes)
Stomach and
Intestinal Reactions:
- Abdominal pain and bloating
- Diarrhoea (usually very runny)
- Vomiting
- Gas/wind
- Cramps
Nose,
Throat and Lung Reactions:
- Runny Nose
- Sneezing
- Watery and/or Itchy eyes
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Shortness of Breath
The
milk allergy symptoms are not only restricted to people suffering
from milk allergy. Many other people can show these symptoms to
basically any other immune reaction. This could be from a simple
mosquito bite to a drug reaction such as penicillin. Common food
allergies, all with similar symptoms include sea shells, peanuts,
banana and eggs.
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What
are the symptoms of lactose intolerance? |
The symptoms listed below are caused
by the fermentation of lactose. Since lactose is not broken into
glucose, and hence left unabsorbed by the body, the perfect conditions
found in the intestines help the lactose to ferment and this leads
to the formation of gases. A particular gas is methane that is usually
the cause for the pain and aggressive flatulence.
Common symptoms include:
- nausea
- cramps
- bloating gas,
- wind diarrhoea, which may begin
from after half an hour to 2 hours after eating or drinking foods
containing lactose.
Persons who suffer from lactase deficiency
and do not avoid lactose may suffer from weight loss and malnutrition.
The severity of symptoms varies depending
on the amount of lactose each individual can tolerate. Some of the
symptoms may be similar to those of milk allergy but milk allergies
can cause the body to react quicker, more often within a few minutes.
Compare the symptoms of lactose intolerance
with those of milk allergy.
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What
do you have lactose intolerance or milk allergy? |
Table of Comparisons.
Below is a table of comparisons between
MA and LI. It is important to establish under which category you
fall to be able to eliminate the wrong food product. In some cases
a person can be subjected to both.
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Milk
Allergy
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Lactose
Intolerance
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Cause
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hypersensitive
immune reaction to milk proteins
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insufficient
lactase enzyme being produced to break down the sugar lactose
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Age
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starts usually
from early infancy
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starts later
in early childhood but most common in adults
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Symptoms
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usually immediate
and affecting more that one part of the body:
digestion: nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and
diarrhoea
skin: swelling eczema, hives
airways: wheezing, coughing, congestion and a runny
nose
anaphylaxis: this is very rare but it is a fact that
some individuals may experience life threatening anaphylactic
attacks.
Strict avoidance of all traces of
milk and all its derivatives is the only way to deal with this
type of allergy. Some people choose to keep milk products out
of the house. Emergency adrenaline (epinephrine) should be
prescribed and kept within close proximity at all times. |
symptoms with
LI affect the digestive system only: diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal
bloating, gas, wind, stomach cramps.
The magnitude
of the above symptoms are inversely related to the amount
of lactase produced.
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More
questions? Ask here. |
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