DAIRY ALLERGY OR LACTOSE INTOLERANCE?

Lactose intolerance is not the same as a milk or dairy allergy. Lactose intolerance is the body’s inability to digest the sugars present in many dairy products. An allergic reaction to dairy is an immune response or immune system overreaction to the proteins found in dairy products. There are two types of dairy allergies: immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated and non-IgE-mediated. IgE is the type of antibody released in response to an allergen. An IgE-mediated response happens immediately. A non-IgE-mediated response involves other parts of the immune system besides IgE and takes longer for symptoms to appear, often as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Since these are some of the same symptoms caused by lactose intolerance, the two conditions are often confused.

P.S. A cow’s milk allergy is the most common food allergy in infants and young children.

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