Dairy Allergy

Identifying whether or not a person has a dairy allergy can be tricky. But as long as you know the proteins that are found in cow’s milk, then identifying such is made easier.

The proteins you need to look out for are actually lactose and casein. These are the primary proteins that can be found in cow’s milk. What makes it hard to determine the presence of these proteins is the fact that they can be found in a bulk of processed foods. Lactose is usually added to processed foods for flavoring purposes. Casein is added for the purposes of emulsification, protein supplementation, and for texture as well. The only way to determine the presence of these proteins in certain food items is by reading the labels of these items. The following food items just might contain these primary proteins: breath mints, fortified cereals, ice cream, nutrition bars, salad dressings, infant formulas, whipped toppings, coffee whiteners, and certain processed meats.

The mentioned food items are pretty harmless, if you think about it. But an allergic reaction to these items actually triggers one’s immune system to mistakenly treat these components as foreign bodies. What’s more, the immune system perceives these foreign bodies as a threat, thus quickly releasing antibodies that bind themselves to the molecules of the food items. This process of binding then leads to the release of a substance called histamine, which is basically a chemical messenger that triggers the body’s response to the perceived danger. This error in judgment leads to inflammation and anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal if not attended to immediately.

The symptoms of dairy allergies can occur hours after one takes in the food item. There are even cases when it took days for the reaction to set in. Typical skin reactions include rashes, hives, and facial swelling. Digestive symptoms include flatulence, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, bloating, and diarrhea. Respiratory symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, and nasal congestion, shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, and anaphylactic shock in the worse cases. Cases involving children show them having somewhat glazed looks in the eyes. There are also rare cases when the symptoms would include lethargy, bed-wetting, and inattention.

To be sure what particular component of dairy products you are allergic to, it would be better to consult your physician. The symptoms for an allergic reaction to lactose can be somewhat similar to that of an allergic reaction to casein. Physicians can determine what particular dairy allergy you have through a number of methods. One of the more common methods is by the elimination of dairy products from your diet, and the slow reintroduction of these products into your diet. This can take time, but this method is effective in its purpose.