Dairy Allergy in women and how to detect it?

Dairy Allergy in women and how to detect it?

Life can be devastating for your wife if she has dairy Allergy. Only 2-3 % of the total population have milk allergy and it is often confused with lactose intolerance. Although in some cases both conditions might present themselves with the same symptoms, lactose intolerance is not life threatening. Milk Allergy can have a wide range of symptoms which can be mild to severe. Severe cases of Milk Allergy can be fatal. If you find your wife in discomfort after she has ingested milk, you might want to consider getting your wife tested for allergies and lactose intolerance.

Why does it happen? 

Individuals who are allergic to Dairy have a condition. Their body mistakenly takes milk as a foreign invader in the body, which in turn causes the body to release chemicals like histamine. Release of histamines cause symptoms. This condition is due to the individual’s genetic code. It is the body’s abnormal response to milk due by the body’s immune system.

Symptoms - How does it feel like?

In order to detect your wife for Dairy allergy you must observe your wife's condition and symptoms after feeding with milk. Children who have dairy allergy can present their symptoms as bloating, stomach ache, wheezing, coughing, skin-rash, hoarseness, throat tightness, diarrhoea, vomiting, itchy or watery eyes, swollen eyes, hives, anaphylaxis, facial flushing, loose stool with blood, colic in babies, runny nose, red-spots, swelling, light-headedness or a drop in blood pressure. If you find your child in any of the above you should get your child tested.

Anaphylaxis is condition in which the airways become narrow and block the passage of breathing. After peanuts and tree-nuts, milk is the third most common food to cause it.

Symptoms may vary from individual to individual. So much so, that the same individual can have different symptoms upon ingesting milk. The quantity or type of milk consumed may or may not be a factor. Even the severity of symptoms may vary on different occasions. A person might have a mild reaction before and a severe one afterwards.

Life with Dairy Allergy

Women who have Dairy Allergy cannot consume milk of sheep or goat either. The milk in sheep or goat is more or less the same as the cow’s milk. Even powdered milk is to be avoided. All sort of salads which might have butter and cream are to be avoided.  If you suspect your wife has difficulty breathing it might be an attack of anaphylaxis. You must rush to the hospital for an adrenaline shot (epinephrine).

Foods to be avoided

Here is a list foods to be avoided if your child has dairy allergy:

·         Butter

·         Cheese

·         Custard

·         Cream(including sour cream)

·         Milk

·         Ice Cream

·         Pudding

Consultation

If you suspect you have dairy allergy please consult a qualified allergist. The Allergist will help you rule out other medical conditions and diagnose and treat your condition. Individuals who have this condition spend a quality of life closer to that of the rest of the population. This condition is usually treatable and triggers can be avoided.

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