Struggles and Management of Lactose Intolerance

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Struggles and Management of Lactose Intolerance
Many people are forced to keep track of their diet each day of their life. From children to adults, large numbers of people are diagnosed with lactose intolerance. Others, who may not have been tested by physicians, may incorrectly diagnose themselves, confusing this disorder to many others that are extremely similar. Being lactose intolerant takes a toll on daily life. Individuals constantly have to be aware of what they are eating as well as how much you are consuming. With this disorder, each person has to learn to manage it correctly. From person to person, the inability to digest lactase varies by how their body handles it and why. Many people believe that the solution to their lactose intolerance problem is to cut dairy out of their diet completely. However, this may be worse for them. Due to a lack of consumption of dairy products among people who are lactose intolerant there are also health risks, which are linked to this condition.
In dairy products and in milk, there is a sugar known as lactose. In order to digest this sugar, you need the necessary enzyme. There are several different reasons for the inability to digest lactose: primary lactase deficiency, secondary lactase deficiency, congenital lactase deficiency, and developmental lactase deficiency. Cases dealing with primary lactase deficiency are most common. As babies, there are normally more lactase enzymes produced than needed in order to digest lactose. “Worldwide, most humans lose 90% to 95% of birth lactase levels by early childhood, followed by a continuing decline during the course of a lifetime,” (Thorn). By the time children reach about three years old, the production of lactase significantly drops. In some...

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