Dairy allergy is a kind of food allergy that suddenly develops whenever the immune system starts to respond adversely to proteins that are always present in milk. a lot of people assume that this dairy allergy symptom is the same as lactose intolerance symptom. but they are definitely two contrasting conditions.
Lactose intolerance is a result from the absence of digestive enzymes required in digesting lactose sugar commonly found in milk and it has very far to do with our immune system. Dairy allergy symptoms are serious when compared to lactose intolerance. This type of allergy is commonly found in infants below 12 months of age. but some adults may also contract dairy allergy symptoms in their later years of life. Some infants outgrow it while others continue to experience it throughout their life.
Reasons behind Dairy Allergies
The protein content that is ever present in dairy products commonly acts as allergens and is bound for this type of food allergy. Whey and Casein are the protein components of dairy products that make allergic reactions. If you will observe a curd, you can definitely identify these two proteins separately. Casein is that solid part of milk while whey is the watery part. whenever dairy allergic people consume these products, their immune system assumes these milk proteins to be harmful substances that entered the body. It releases a big amount of antibody histamines in order to control these substances and gives way to dairy allergy symptoms like inflammation.
Dairy Allergy Symptoms
How intense dairy allergy symptoms can be are often ranging from mild to severe. Some immediately appear as soon a person with dairy allergy consumes any kind of dairy food; while others may even take hours before it manifest. Among the dairy allergy symptoms visible on the skin are the appearances of hives, red and itchy rashes, swelling in some areas of the face, tongue and throat. Some dairy allergy symptoms in the digestive system would results in vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, gas, abdominal cramps, and bloating. The respiratory system also shows dairy allergy symptoms like coughing, wheezing, sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose, and watery eyes.
The dairy allergy symptoms in both infants and adults are the same. although, there may be some prevalent dairy allergy symptoms in infants that tend to get ear and nose infections, eczema, lack of energy and frequent bed-wetting.
IF you tend to get dairy allergy symptoms then you need to avoid them. you can get other alternatives in some soy products to complete your dietary requirement. and for infants, there are soy-based “milk” formulas available in the market.