Dairy Allergies and What to do About Them

709 Words2 Pages

Dairy Allergies and What to do About Them

Food allergy or hypersensitivity refers to the abnormal allergic reaction of the body’s immune system to a usually harmless food such as milk, eggs, peanuts, and fish. Food allergens that cause allergic reactions are usually proteins and this can cause adverse effects even if cooked or have been digested. Dairy allergens include milk and milk proteins that are found in cows, sheep, goat, and other grazing mammals that produce milk. Milk allergy symptoms may differ from person to person and it sometimes occur a few minutes to a few hours after ingestion. Principal symptoms are mostly respiratory, gastrointestinal and dermatological. After consuming milk, some symptoms may immediately surface like hives, vomiting and wheezing. In some cases, signs and symptoms may take longer period of time to develop such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps, itchy skin rash and loose stools, which may contain blood. For babies, colic also surfaces much longer than most symptoms thus parents should be more alert for signs of milk allergy. Rarely, milk allergies can trigger anaphylaxis, which is a severe reaction that can be life-threatening. It is best to consult your doctor even if there is only mild reaction. This is to avoid potentially worse reaction in the future and also to know the steps in avoiding its recurrence.

Difference between milk allergy and lactose intolerance
Dairy allergy is a food allergy, wherein the body’s immune system causes an overreaction on dairy products. An allergic reaction may include mild to severe symptoms such as rashes, hives and swelling. It can also cause anaphylaxis that can be life-threatening. Lactose intolerance, on the other hand is a food intolerance that is not connec...

... middle of paper ...

...als
Caramel candies
Chocolate
Donuts
Meats -- both canned and processed such as luncheon meat, cold cuts, hot dogs and sausages
Margarine
Mashed potatoes
Nougat
Salad dressings
Sherbet

Some unexpected sources of Dairy
Some food items can also have unexpected traces of milk and consuming it even in small amounts can still trigger an allergic reaction.
Deli meat and cold cuts - meat slicers are frequently used in cutting cheeses as well
Some brand of canned tuna fish may contain casein, which is a milk protein
Some milk substitutes are also manufactured on the same equipment used in milk
Some packaged meat products may contain casein as a binder so make it a habit to read the label
Shellfish are sometimes dipped in milk to reduce its fishy odor
Most restaurants use butter in their steaks after grilling for added flavor
Some medications may also contain milk protein

Open Document