Do you often feel bloated and suffer from awful stomach pain that has you doubled over after meals? If you spend more time in the bathroom after eating than the average Joe, you may be one of the many people afflicted with lactose intolerance. 

Those who suffer from severe lactose intolerance are unable to digest the sugar found in milk and other dairy products properly. This intolerance is the result of a deficiency of the enzyme lactase. Lactase breaks down the sugar into a simpler, more digestible form. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC), most people who have lactase deficiency can tolerate some lactose in their diet without too much discomfort. 

As much as 30 percent of the population suffers from lactose intolerance. According to a review published in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences in 2013, the authors estimated that about 75 percent of the population experiences the impaired ability to digest lactose at some point in their lives. Symptoms may not appear every time dairy products are consumed. 

Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance 

How do you know if you have severe lactose intolerance? It is sometimes difficult to get a diagnosis because symptoms do not show up early in life in most cases, and even when the symptoms are present, they can be confused easily with irritable bowel syndrome. For starters, everyone who gets an upset stomach does not suffer from lactose intolerance. Abdominal pain can occur for a variety of reasons. 

However, it is a good idea to see your doctor if you feel miserable every time you consume: 

• milk;
• cheese;
• yogurt; and/or
• ice cream. 

Diagnosis usually begins with a typical physical and blood work, along with the suggestion of cutting out all milk and dairy products over a two-week period. If symptoms go away during that timeframe, you may be suffering from lactose intolerance. As you slowly reintroduce these foods into your diet, you should notice how they make you feel. Often milk is more difficult to digest than yogurt and cheese. Take notes on how your body reacts when reintroducing each of these to your diet. 

There are two tests that can help identify the condition. The first is a stool acidity test, which is generally given to infants and young children to determine the amount of glucose and lactic acid in their stools. A higher amount indicates the inability to digest lactose. The other test is a hydrogen breath test. Essentially, you drink a milk-based beverage and the undigested lactose creates a high level of hydrogen, which is measurable in your breath. 

How and When Lactose Intolerance Develops 

Over time, symptoms of lactose intolerance may worsen. Many times people don’t have full-blown symptoms until adulthood, even though the condition may begin in early childhood. In some cases, secondary lactose deficiency may occur following injury to the small intestine, reports the NDDIC, which may be related to infection or disease. 

Further, congenital lactase deficiency is a rare genetic disorder in which the small intestine does not produce lactase enzymes at the time of birth, or produces very little. Finally, some children may have developmental lactase deficiency, which is present at birth in children born prematurely but may go away after a short time. 

Though African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanics and American Indians have a higher risk of developing lactose intolerance, it is a fairly common condition among all adults, regardless of their race, ethnicity or family history. 

Managing Lactose Intolerance without Giving Up Milk Products 

According to the National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference on Lactose Intolerance and Health in 2010, “Educational programs and behavioral approaches for individuals and their healthcare providers should be developed and validated to improve the nutrition and symptoms of individuals with lactose intolerance and dairy avoidance.” 

Furthermore, experts say that avoiding dairy can lead to bigger problems in the long run, which can be harmful to your bones, heart and blood pressure. Thus, many recommend consuming dairy to the degree the patient is able. Dr. Marshall Wolf, an internist at Harvard Medical School said, “It’s not something where a little bit of milk is going to make you very sick.” It is usually when people drink a full glass of milk or indulge in a big bowl of ice cream that symptoms are at their worst. 

Living with lactose intolerance doesn’t mean you have to cut yourself off from milk and dairy products for the rest of your life. Find out what you can tolerate and work with your doctor to develop a healthy eating plan. You do need to watch out for the lactose in nondairy food products, however. 

While milk and dairy products are most likely to cause you digestion problems, some foods that you wouldn’t think would have an effect are: 

• baked goods;
• dressings;
• protein bars; and
• hot dogs. 

There are some ways to include dairy in your diet without suffering the consequences. There are lactose-free products and over-the-counter lactase enzyme tablets that make life a little easier. Calcium supplements can make up for the lack of calcium in your diet. You may even drink smaller portions of milk and consume it during meals when it might be easier to tolerate. 

Even if you find out that you have severe lactose intolerance, it’s not the end of the world. There aren’t any extreme measures or surgeries needed to correct the condition. Because everybody is different and experiences different levels of discomfort, you’ll have to experiment a bit to find the level of dairy your body can handle without having to pay for it. Let’s face it, nobody wants to be running for the toilet every time they eat, but with proper management and a careful eye on your diet, this won’t be necessary.