Lactose Intolerance Symptoms and Its Breath Test

Lactose intolerance means a person’s body cannot process lactose, which are commonly placed in diary products like yogurt and milk. A person will get lactose intolerant if their small intestines fail to make sufficient enzyme lactose in order to digest and when lactose break down. When it happens the undigested lactose moved to the large intestine and the bacterial held in the large intestine joined with that undigested lactose and provides symptoms like gas, diarrhea and bloating and it may also call lactase deficiency. Lactose intolerance usually occurs in adults and person who are affected by lactose intolerance have to avoid the dairy products or take medicine which contain lactose enzyme. If any person having the symptoms of lactose intolerance must consult with the doctor and the doctor will take some test such as Lactose intolerance test, a stool acidity test and Hydrogen breath test. There are several ways to control the intolerant symptoms, if anyone wants to control the intolerance they must be diet, supplements and taking lactose tablets will give the best result.

Lactose intolerance types and its causes:

There are three types of lactose intolerance such as primary, secondary and developmental or congenital, which can be described in detail with its signs of lactose intolerance.

Primary Lactose Intolerance: This type is most common and many peoples are having enough lactose while born. Babies need enzyme to digest the mother’s milk while growing it will begin to decrease

Secondary Lactose Intolerance: Disease like inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease or any surgery in the small intestine will cause the lactose intolerance.

Developmental or Congenital Lactose Intolerance: There may be a chance that a defective gene can pass from parents to their children, it will lead to absence of lactose to their child. This is said to be developmental lactose intolerance. In this case, the baby will get diarrhea soon so it must be treated as early as possible in order to reduce the harm.

What are the process involved in the Hydrogen breath test:

If any person suspects that they are having lactose intolerance can be consulted with doctor whether they are having this disorder or not. Once it was positive, the doctor will take the hydrogen breath test it also called as Lactulose breath test. Before taking this test person should not take any solid or liquid food prior 12 hours like a blood sugar test. Doctor will check the hydrogen level and this test is the baseline later they will do another test. Doctor asks to drink the sugary liquid, then the sample of breath level can be taken for every 15 minutes which will continue for 2 hours. If a person has this disorder, the result of this hydrogen breath test is that bacteria contain their intestine will digest the sugar then it will release the methane and hydrogen.