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People with lactose intolerance cannot fully digest the sugar (lactose) in milk. As a result, they have diarrhea, gas, and bloating after eating or drinking dairy products. The disease, also called lactose malabsorption, is usually harmless, but its symptoms can be uncomfortable.
Too little of an enzyme (lactase) produced in your small intestine is usually responsible for lactose intolerance. You can have low lactase levels while still being able to digest dairy products. However, if your levels are too low, you will become lactose intolerant, leading to symptoms after eating or drinking dairy products. Lactase deficiency Treatment in Hyderabad
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance usually begin 30 minutes to two hours after you eat or drink foods that contain lactose. Signs and symptoms are:
- diarrhea
- Nausea and sometimes vomiting
- Stomach cramps
- Bloating
- gas
The reasons
Lactose intolerance occurs when your small intestine doesn’t produce enough enzyme (lactase) to digest milk sugar (lactose).
Normally, lactase converts the sugar in milk into two simple sugars – glucose and galactose – which are absorbed into the bloodstream through the lining of the intestines.
When you are lactase deficient, the lactose in your food travels through the colon instead of being processed and absorbed. In the colon, normal bacteria interact with undigested lactose, causing the signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance. Lactase deficiency Treatment in Hyderabad
Risk factors
Some of the factors that can make you or your child more prone to lactose intolerance include:
- Increased age. Lactose intolerance usually occurs in adulthood. The condition is rare in babies and young children.
- Ethnicity. Lactose intolerance is more common among people of African, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American descent.
- Premature birth. Premature babies may have decreased lactase levels because the small intestine does not develop lactase-producing cells until the end of the third trimester.
- Diseases of the small intestine. Small intestine problems that can cause lactose intolerance include bacterial overgrowth, celiac disease, and Crohn’s disease. Lactase deficiency Treatment in Hyderabad