Are you allergic to milk? Here's your guide to safe allergy treatment

Is downing a tub of ice cream or a bar of chocolate leaving you in uneasy situations? If yes, you may have to kiss dairy products goodbye. A milk allergy is one of the most common food allergies. About 1 in 50 children under the age of one suffer from milk allergies. By adulthood, up to 70% of people don’t produce enough of an enzyme called lactase to digest the lactose in the milk. Dealing with all types of food allergies requires vigilance. However, milk or milk products are part of many food items and they can be difficult to manage. In most cases, a milk allergy is the body's abnormal response to the proteins found in milk. The most effective way to avoid an allergic reaction is to avoid milk but at times it can be inevitable. If you are worried about your health, consult our homeopathic expert for safe and natural treatment.

What is the cause of food allergy? 

Food allergies occur when your immune system reacts to a particular protein found in milk. The job of your body’s immune system is to identify and destroy harmful bacteria and viruses that can make you sick. However, in people suffering from a milk allergy, the immune system mistakenly targets a harmless milk protein. It considers the protein in the milk as a threat to your health and causes an allergic reaction.

There are two major proteins in milk that can cause an allergic reaction:

• Casein - Solid part of milk that curdles for example curd
• Whey -  Liquid part of milk that remains after milk curdles

You may be allergic to only one milk protein or both. Most people who react to cow's milk can also get an allergic reaction from sheep's, goat's or buffalo's milk. If a milk allergy is not managed well or treated, it can cause a condition called anaphylaxis.  Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening reaction that leads to the narrowing of the airways and breathing problems. To protect your body, the immune system releases chemicals called histamines. This chemical reaction causes a range of signs and symptoms of food allergies.

Milk allergy or milk intolerance?

A milk allergy and milk intolerance differ from each other. Unlike an allergy, intolerance is not caused due to the malfunction of the immune system. Milk intolerance is when your body can’t digest lactose or the sugar found in dairy products. This can often cause symptoms such as stomach ache, gas and diarrhoea. The treatment for milk intolerance is different from that of a milk allergy.

How do you find out if you suffer from milk or food allergies? 

When an allergic reaction occurs, it results in food allergy symptoms like:

• Hives (swollen, pale red bumps or plaques on the skin)
• Wheezing
• Coughing or shortness of breath
• Vomiting
• Itching or tingling feeling around the lips
• Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat.

In children, symptoms like diarrhoea, which may contain blood, abdominal cramps, runny nose and watery eyes are also noticed.

Symptoms can occur within just 5 minutes to about two hours after consumption of milk.

Are you more likely to develop a milk allergy?

Here are certain factors that may increase the risk of developing a milk allergy:

• Other allergies - In most cases, people who are allergic to milk also have other allergies. A milk allergy can develop before other allergies.
• Family history - The risk of developing a food allergy increases if one or both parents have any type of allergies. Other allergies include hay fever, asthma, dermatitis or eczema.

Age –A milk allergy is more common in children. As you age, digestive systems mature too, making your body less likely to react to milk.