Food Intolerance Or Food Allergy?
- Date: 2007-10-22 - Word Count: 433
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Does drinking a glass of milk cause you stomach to hurt? Have you eaten something, and later felt nauseous? Are there specific foods or beverages that cause you to feel sick? Many people share these symptoms with you. There is a condition called food intolerance, and millions suffer from it. You too may have this condition.
When the body cannot properly digest a certain food, we call this a food intolerance. Some people are born with intolerances to certain foods, and others may develop intolerances much later in life. Lactose intolerance, a problem handling the sugar in milk, is very common in about 10% of the US population, and it can be congenital or may develop with aging. Some intolerance last for life, while others may occur sporadically.
Do you have any symptoms of food intolerance? Not everyone will have the same types of problems, but some signs of the condition can include abdominal discomfort, scratchy throat, nausea, bloating, and diarrhea. This malady is no fun whatsoever and may indicate that years of sickness and suffering may be ahead.
Don not confuse these symptoms with those caused by food allergies. Allergies can cause all of the aforementioned symptoms, plus itching, skin hives, vomiting, swollen lips and throat, and wheezing. These reactions start immediately after the offending food is consumed, and can be serious or even life-threatening. Call for medical help immediately if you suffer these symptoms after eating.
An initial step in the management of food intolerance is to be certain you do not have an allergy to a food instead, and this can be a bit tricky. Visit a physician, preferably an allergist for allergy test for the suspect foods. If testing is negative, you have ruled out food allergy and can be reasonably sure it is intolerance.
Once you've figured out that you are sensitive to a certain food, how do you go about managing your intolerance? First of all, remove the offending food from your diet. Be sure to avoid hidden ingredients in processed foods that may trigger your intolerance. After you have completely eliminated the food that makes you ill, you will probably feel much better.
Dairy foods are difficult to completely remove from your diet, so if you are lactose intolerant, some problems may arise. Fortunately, most such people can eat some forms of dairy without much trouble. One strategy that you might use is to avoid all dairy foods for two weeks, and then slowly reintroduce certain dairy products into your diet to see which ones cause your problems. Many people can eat yogurt or cheese but cannot drink liquid milk, for example.
When the body cannot properly digest a certain food, we call this a food intolerance. Some people are born with intolerances to certain foods, and others may develop intolerances much later in life. Lactose intolerance, a problem handling the sugar in milk, is very common in about 10% of the US population, and it can be congenital or may develop with aging. Some intolerance last for life, while others may occur sporadically.
Do you have any symptoms of food intolerance? Not everyone will have the same types of problems, but some signs of the condition can include abdominal discomfort, scratchy throat, nausea, bloating, and diarrhea. This malady is no fun whatsoever and may indicate that years of sickness and suffering may be ahead.
Don not confuse these symptoms with those caused by food allergies. Allergies can cause all of the aforementioned symptoms, plus itching, skin hives, vomiting, swollen lips and throat, and wheezing. These reactions start immediately after the offending food is consumed, and can be serious or even life-threatening. Call for medical help immediately if you suffer these symptoms after eating.
An initial step in the management of food intolerance is to be certain you do not have an allergy to a food instead, and this can be a bit tricky. Visit a physician, preferably an allergist for allergy test for the suspect foods. If testing is negative, you have ruled out food allergy and can be reasonably sure it is intolerance.
Once you've figured out that you are sensitive to a certain food, how do you go about managing your intolerance? First of all, remove the offending food from your diet. Be sure to avoid hidden ingredients in processed foods that may trigger your intolerance. After you have completely eliminated the food that makes you ill, you will probably feel much better.
Dairy foods are difficult to completely remove from your diet, so if you are lactose intolerant, some problems may arise. Fortunately, most such people can eat some forms of dairy without much trouble. One strategy that you might use is to avoid all dairy foods for two weeks, and then slowly reintroduce certain dairy products into your diet to see which ones cause your problems. Many people can eat yogurt or cheese but cannot drink liquid milk, for example.
Related Tags: food intolerance, allergy testing, abdominal discomfort
Food intolerance is a condition and millions suffer from it. When the body cannot properly digest a certain food, this is intolerance to food. Some people are born with intolerances to certain foods; others may develop it later in life. Food allergies cause abdominal discomfort, such as: pain, diarrhea, nausea. Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
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