Lactose intolerance is a term used to describe when a person is unable to digest foods that include lactose. Many people have this condition, however, they cannot identify it as such a disease. In this sense, check out in this article some signs that may indicate that you may have lactose intolerance.
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What is lactose intolerance?
If when eating a four-cheese pizza, or after having a hot chocolate drink on a cold day, you feel your stomach turn, know that this could be a sign that you have an intolerance to lactose. This is a term used to describe when a person is unable to digest foods that include lactose, which is the sugar in milk. So, normally, the lactase enzyme should help break it down into small pieces to be absorbed by the body.
However, a lactose intolerant person does not have the necessary lactase to carry out this digestion and allow the body to absorb this sugar. And it is from this point that the patient begins to feel the symptoms.
What are the symptoms of a person with lactose intolerance?
Symptoms differ from person to person and depend on the amount of lactose consumed. However, they usually appear between 30 minutes and 2 hours after ingestion, the most common being: bloating, nausea, gas, diarrhea (which may also be constipation), body aches, flatulence, colic, cramps, headache and irritability.
Despite causing so many symptoms, many people who are lactose intolerant continue to consume dairy products and choose to live with the consequences. Fortunately, according to experts, in addition to discomfort and malaise, there are no greater risks for adults with lactose intolerance. Therefore, it is not a condition that can progress to a more serious condition and has nothing to do with cancer or other illnesses. However, it can cause a variety of symptoms and can have a significant impact on quality of life.