Are You Lactose Intolerant?

Patients with lactose intolerance only get symptoms after taking milk and dairy foods. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and include: abdominal pains, cramps and bloating, flatus, diarrhoea and vomiting. The severity ranges from individual to individual, which may be provoked by lesser or greater quantities of lactose. Depending on the underlying cause, lactose intolerance may be permanent or temporary. For example, many cases in young children are due to intestinal infections and may only last for a few weeks.

Patients with lactose intolerance have difficulty digesting milk and dairy products. Normally, the digestive system produces an enzyme to break down lactose, the main sugar found in milk. For patients with lactose intolerance, the enzyme is not produced enough by the body or it does not work properly. This results in the excessive lactose remaining in the digestive system, where it is fermented by bacteria to produce various gases, which causes the gastrointestinal symptoms of lactose intolerance.

To find out more:

Interview with Dr Reuben Wong, a gastroenterologist at gutCARE Singapore.
Dr Reuben Wong's clinical interests: Gut Motility, Functional GI Disorders, and Gut Microbiome

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