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Lactose Intolerance
Pronunciation
Definition 1
The inability to digest or absorb lactose, a type of sugar found in milk and other dairy products. (NCI Dictionary)
Definition 2
Inability to fully digest and absorb lactose due to limited or no lactase activity in the small intestine. Congenital intolerance is inherited following an autosomal recessive pattern but is rare. It is more often due to a gradual decline of lactase production in adulthood following the ingestion of fewer lactose-containing foods or secondary to an intestinal mucosal brush-border injury. Prevalence is highest among Asians, Native Americans and Africans. Clinical signs include abdominal cramping, bloating, flatulence and diarrhea following the dietary intake of lactose. (NCI Thesaurus)
More information
Lactose intolerance means that you cannot digest foods with lactose in them. Lactose is the sugar found in milk and foods made with milk. After eating foods with lactose in them, you may feel sick to your stomach. You may also have
• Gas
• Diarrhea
• Swelling in your stomach
Your doctor may do a blood, breath or stool test to find out if your problems are due to lactose intolerance.
Lactose intolerance is not serious. Eating less food with lactose, or using pills or drops to help you digest lactose usually helps. You may need to take a calcium supplement if you don't get enough of it from your diet, since milk and foods made with milk are the most common source of calcium for most people. (NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Also called: Dairy product intolerance, Lactase deficiency, Milk intolerance
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