digestive disorders
Lactose Intolerance
Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance
People with lactose intolerance usually cannot tolerate milk and other dairy products, all of which contain lactose. Adults usually develop symptoms only after they consume more than 8 to 12 ounces (250 to 375 milliliters) of milk. Some people recognize early in life that milk and other dairy products cause gastrointestinal problems and consciously or unconsciously avoid dairy products. A child who is lactose intolerant has diarrhea and may not gain weight when milk is part of the diet. An adult may have abdominal bloating and cramps, watery diarrhea, flatulence, nausea, rumbling or gurgling sounds in the bowel (borborygmi), and an urgent need to have a bowel movement between 30 minutes and 2 hours after eating a meal containing lactose. For some people, severe diarrhea may prevent proper absorption of nutrients because they are expelled from the body too quickly. However, the symptoms that result from lactose intolerance are usually mild. In contrast, symptoms that result from Overview of Malabsorption in such conditions as Children with cow's milk allergy also develop symptoms after consuming cow's milk or cow's milk products. However, these symptoms, such as itching, rash, and/or wheezing, resemble other allergic reactions. Sometimes children have digestive tract symptoms, such as vomiting, abdominal pain, and rarely diarrhea. Cow's milk allergy is rare in adults and also may cause vomiting and symptoms of esophageal reflux. 