What Lactose Intolerance Is

Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk. Lactose intolerance is caused by a deficiency in the enzyme lactase, found in the small intestine. Lactase breaks down milk sugar into simpler forms that can then digested by the human body.

When there is not enough lactase to digest lactose, the symptoms of lactose intolerance appear. Undigested lactose remains in the colon where it is fermented by bacteria, and various gases are produced. This is what gives you the symptoms.

Symptoms

Not everyone who has a lactase deficiency is lactose intolerant. People who manifest symptoms are said to be lactose intolerant.

Some of the symptoms of lactose intolerance are nausea, cramps, bloating, gas, diarrhea and vomiting, which can begin hours or even a day after eating or drinking foods containing lactose. The severity of symptoms varies from person to person.

Causes

The causes of lactose intolerance are either hereditary usually, the body's ability to produce lactase declines over time) or caused by external factors (e.g., digestive diseases reduce the amount of lactase produced by the cells. Sometimes, children are born without the ability to produce lactase. In my case, I realized that I was lactose intolerant after my third episode of lactose intolerance symptoms. I had always been able to eat ice cream with no problems (I'm an ice cream fanatic!).

However, at age 33, I began experiencing abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting