Dairy Allergies: Know What Your Doctor Knows

One of the most fasting growing allergies in both adults and children are dairy allergies.

When you suffer from this allergy you can have a wide range of reactions.

Many suffers have only mild symptoms and others can have such strong reactions to the dairy that it can leave them unable to function properly.

Still others can have a reaction so severe that it can require hospitalization to stabilize them.

If you fall into the category of having severe reactions to dairy products, here is some valuable information that may help you manage your allergy more easily.

What Exactly are Dairy Allergies?

The technical definition of a dairy allergy is a person that is hypersensitive to egg protein or milk products.

While for most of the population these foods are harmless it can be disastrous for others.

Three of the most commonly found symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea and bronchial wheezing.

Any child that suffers from dairy allergies should never be subject to ingesting any of these foods which will help remove the risk of severe complications.

One food that is often times either limited or completely removed from a diet is milk. This is because milk forms mucus and this is detrimental for asthmatics.

Many adults worry because egg and milk products help children grow.

Even with that being true there are still many other foods that you can substitute for the nutritional value without exposing the child to the risk associated with dairy allergies.

For example instead of a diet with several dairy products you can introduce more vegetables and fruits into their daily diet.

When you have a child that has been diagnosed with dairy allergies there is no reason not to completely eliminate these products from their diet.

Even small amounts can cause an adverse reaction and the safest treatment is complete avoidance.

The Difference Between an Allergy and Lactose Intolerance

Oftentimes dairy allergies and lactose intolerance can be confused.

As your physician will confirm these two aliments are not the same. A person suffering from lactose intolerance suffers from the body's inability to take the sugar in milk and digest it.

If you suffer from a dairy allergy the body reacts negatively against all the nutrient components found in the dairy.

With lactose intolerance you will find that the most common reactions to milk products is stomach cramping unlike the additional symptoms that you will find from an allergic reaction.

With lactose intolerance the body's response can be very uncomfortable but not considered worrisome as with an allergy.

The best way to avoid this discomfort would be to remove or completely avoid dairy products.

How common is Lactose Intolerance? Almost 70% of the world's population has this problem.

Learn more about Lactose Intolerance