What are the signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance?
A child who cannot tolerate lactose will have diarrhoea and fail to thrive. An adult may have bloating, flatus, nausea, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. When lactose absorption is impaired by deficiency of the enzyme lactase, the resulting diarrhoea may be severe enough to purge other nutrients before they can be absorbed. A history of milk intolerance may be obtained in patients with lactose intolerance. Some people recognise this early in life and consciously or unconsciously avoid eating dairy products, thus making a diagnostic history more obscure. In others, symptoms may simulate irritable bowel syndrome.
