Dairy Allergy Symptoms

A dairy allergy is one such food allergy that develops when the immune system starts responding adversely to certain proteins present in milk. Many people assume dairy allergy to be same as lactose intolerance. Actually, they are completely two different conditions. Lactose intolerance results from absence of enzymes that are required for digestion of lactose sugar found in milk and has nothing to do with the immune system. Dairy allergy symptoms are far more serious as compared to that of lactose intolerance. This allergy is most commonly found in infants below the age of one. However, some adults may acquire dairy allergy in the later part of life. Most of those infants who have dairy allergy would outgrow it as they grow older. Others may continue to have it throughout their life.

Causes

The proteins that are present in dairy products acts as allergens and are responsible for this kind of food allergy. Casein and whey are the two of the protein components of milk that gives allergic reactions. If you observe the curd, then you can identify these proteins separately. Casein is the solid part of the milk whereas whey is its watery part. When allergic people consumes dairy products, the immune system assume these proteins to be unwanted substances that have entered the body. As a result, it releases large amounts of antibodies histamines to control these intruders which gives rise to inflammation and various allergy symptoms.

Symptoms

The intensity of the symptoms often vary from mild to severe. Some of them appear as soon as one consumes any dairy food and others may take hours before they become evident. The symptoms that are visible on the skin surface are red and itchy skin rashes, hives, swelling in areas like the lips, face, mouth, tongue and throat. Its impact on digestive system results in diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps, gas and bloating. Due to the allergic reaction, the respiratory system shows symptoms like wheezing, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, watery eyes, breathing difficulty, etc.

If the allergic condition becomes serious, then it can lead to anaphylaxis. This happens when the lungs get swollen and block the normal flow of air through the air passage. Thus the normal breathing of the patient get affected and blood pressure drops and heartbeat rises. In such a condition, the patient may lose consciousness and it could be life-threatening as well. The symptoms in adults and infants are more or less the same. However, there are some additional symptoms in infants. Due to the milk allergy infants tend to get ear and sinus infections more frequently. Other symptoms are eczema, frequent bed-wetting and lack of energy.

Treatment

The treatment for dairy allergy largely depends its symptoms. For mild symptoms, antihistamine medicines are prescribed. The condition of anaphylaxis has to be treated on an emergency basis and epinephrine injections are given and are kept under observation for several hours. These treatments are going to provide relief from the allergy symptoms only temporarily. In most cases, it is advised that the patient must strictly avoid milk and any other dairy products. Alternatively, there are some herbal supplements like licorice root and Siberian ginseng which has successfully cure dairy allergy in many patients.

When you tend to get dairy allergy symptoms after intake of dairy products, then you cannot have them even in trace amounts. However, they are a rich source of calcium in our body which is an essential nutrient. In that case, you can get an alternative substitute in soy products. Even for infants with dairy allergy, soy-based formulas are available in the market.