Recognizing the symptoms of lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance can cause a wide variety of symptoms. Contrary to popular belief, lactose intolerance is not an allergy, but a malfunction of the small intestine. This means that milk sugar (lactose) is not broken down. The unconverted milk sugar, instead of being reabsorbed by the intestinal wall, moves further into the large intestine and supplies gas-producing bacteria with energy. These bacteria then cause a variety of symptoms in the digestive system.

As a rule, lactose intolerance manifests itself through the following symptoms:

• Flatulence
• Abdominal pain and abdominal cramps
• Diarrhea
• Stool with mucus
• Bloating
• Nausea and vomiting

Click here for the lactose intolerance self-test.

The overloaded intestine often emits loud noises, which are perceived as intestinal rumbling. In addition to these clear symptoms, the body often also reacts with symptoms that are difficult to associate with digestion, such as headaches, dizziness and sleep disorders. Some patients also complain of back pain related to their digestive problems. A non-functioning digestive system puts a strain on the entire body, which is why difficulty concentrating, fatigue and palpitations may be observed.

Flatulence is the main symptom of lactose intolerance. It comes about through strong gas development (hydrogen and CO2).

If these gases cannot be released, the intestinal wall may expand. This causes abdominal pain and abdominal cramps. This can be very uncomfortable, especially in the upper small intestine. Upper abdominal pain and lower abdominal pain are common.

With an intolerance, the intestinal bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids in particular. These cause more water to be drawn into the intestine. This causes diarrhea, which can sometimes be very watery.

If the fat content of the stool increases due to a lactose intolerance, slimy and greasy stools result. Fatty acids from the intestinal bacteria are also to blame for this.

The increased gas formation can lead to a feeling of fullness, which can be very uncomfortable and reduce appetite.

Many sufferers feel bad after eating lactose-containing foods. This can also lead to vomiting.

Identifying food intolerances such as lactose intolerance is not easy. Many of the symptoms associated with lactose intolerance, such as bloating, abdominal pain and diarrhea, also occur in other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The digestive system is also extremely sensitive and its trouble-free functioning depends on countless factors. Since our diet is usually made up of a wide variety of components, it can be difficult to determine the cause of indigestion. If, for example, a glass of milk with cookies was identified as a trigger for stomach ache, the lactose of the milk, the gluten of the wheat or the added fructose of the purchased cookies may be the decisive factor. Perhaps the cookies also contain peanuts and an undetected nut allergy causes the symptoms that arise. Keeping a food diary offers good insights, but can be extremely involved. This link (click) offers a simple self test that quickly provides an initial assessment of the personal risk of suffering from lactose intolerance.

The most secure way is to go to a specialist because only this person has the appropriate methods to diagnose lactose intolerance without a doubt and to rule out other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The medical diagnosis of lactose intolerance is associated with a certain amount of effort, since only the breath test and taking a small intestine tissue sample provide reliable results. With the so-called H2 breath test, the hydrogen content of the patient's breathing air is measured over a longer period of time. The basis of this test is the fact that the undigested milk sugar molecules in the large intestine are broken down by bacteria that produce hydrogen, among other things. The measurement of gas production in the fasted patient and after consuming a lactose solution thus provides information about how well the lactose has been metabolized.

Under certain conditions, if several intolerances are suspected, the removal and examination of a tissue sample from the small intestine is necessary to determine the lactase content of the intestinal wall. This removal can only be done endoscopically and is a strenuous procedure for the patient.