Milk allergies are a reality for millions of people. One major problem is that milk products and derivatives of milk are in so many of the food products we consume. It is very difficult to completely avoid milk products and byproducts as we go about or day to day life as food consumers. It is a very real problem for parents of children. Once they are out their sight treats like a caramel apple or milk chocolate can bring on an allergic reaction.
Symptoms can manifest themselves in a variety of maladies. Vomiting, diarrhea, hives are three of the most common. Bloating, gas, watery eyes, skin rashes that can also include acne are among others. An asthmatic who also suffers from milk allergy can have complications with their asthma condition as a result or his or her allergy to milk. Another reaction is ear infections and hyperactivity, particularly in children. Minor milk allergy symptoms can go undiagnosed for years.
As a result of ongoing research more information is being made available for those who suffer from milk allergies. Also more and better alternatives to milk are being made available. Milk allergy sufferers are denied this valuable source of calcium in their diet and more palatable alternatives are important in replacing milk and milk productes for the allergy sufferers.
Soy products that were once ghastly are now quite delicious and soy milk itself is now do to improvements quite delicious and resemble milk quite well. Tofu is a great alternative to cheese. With products like these, milk allergy symptoms can easily be avoided. Take a short trip to your supermarket and you'll find plenty of alternative dairy products. No longer will you have to avoid the common foods that you like the most, easy alternatives can be used.
One ingredient in milk is lactose, or milk sugar. Lactose intolerance is a type of milk allergy where the person experiencing the allergy is intolerant to the lactose in the milk itself An enzyme called lactase is responsible for breaking down lactose in the digestive process. It is estimated that up to seventy percent of the worlds population is lacking in this enzyme and some have none at all. This has caused problems in the past when international care packages of food relief were taken to countries on the African continent to fend off starvation and the milk products in the food was consumed by lactose intolerant people there.
Avoidance is the most common treatment for milk allergies. But as I stated previously that can be difficult. Anything containing the word casein should be avoided. Careful screening of preprocessed food labels is a must. Beyond that there has been some buzz about energy based allergy treatments. Many people have claimed to have been completely cured of all symptoms of milk allergy after undergoing an energy based allergy treatment. Energy based allergy treatments are quick and are not long and ongoing. They are an entire topic in themselves so I can only brief you on the topic here.
Article by Sven Ullmann, who runs Deserved Health - information on health for you and your family. Read more about milk allergy symptoms. Get our health newsletter.
Milk Allergy Symptoms
Cow’s Milk Allergy and Babies
Allergy to cow’s milk is the most prevalent form of food allergy that primarily affects children. Most infants and babies fortunately outgrow cow’s milk allergy during their second to third year of formula milk intake.
Allergy to cow’s milk is the most prevalent form of food allergy that primarily affects children. Most infants and babies fortunately outgrow cow’s milk allergy during their second to third year of formula milk intake. Like most allergies, cow’s milk allergies is not curable, but rather, they are treatable. In that sense, people and children born with it should live with dairy-free diets all their lives to avoid cow’s milk allergies.
A close look at cow’s milk
Regular cow’s milk is composed of carbohydrates or sugar, vitamins, water, minerals, fat and proteins. It is the protein in cow’s milk that brings about or serves as allergens that cause cow’s milk allergy. Parents should also learn that breastfeeding infants is not an assurance that the baby would not develop the allergy. However, studies found that breastfed kids are less likely to form food allergies of any kind. Mothers pass along cow’s milk proteins to their kids through breastfeeding.
Thus, it would be more appropriate to say that it is not the mother’s milk that incur reaction, but the proteins that are mixed through the mom’s milk, which is attributed to the mother’s diet. In some cases, some infants develop immunity to cow’s milk allergy during their breastfeeding years, but surprisingly develop cow’s milk allergy when they stop taking in mom’s milk for formula milk.
Symptoms of cow’s milk allergy
It would be easy to tell when an infant or a kid has developed cow’s milk allergy. Parents should be very observant of their children’s conditions so they could immediately seek professional and medical help at the onset of the allergy. Babies with cow’s milk allergy exhibit skin rashes or eczema. Most cases, the babies experience diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramps or abdominal pains. Because babies could not talk or complain about how they are feeling, parents should heed to their infants’ cries and discomfort. Constant and regular visits to the kid’s pediatrician would be really helpful. However, it should also be noted that it is not only cow’s milk allergy that causes rashes, eczema, diarrhea and abdominal pain. In that regard, consultation to the pediatrician is needed so the parents would know the real disease discomforting the baby. Early detection of cow’s milk allergy would be very helpful because early modification and elimination of dairies in the kid’s diet would be very beneficial and necessary over time.
Treatment and prevention of cow’s milk allergy
Severe symptom of cow’s milk allergy would need special prescription medications from the doctor. Usually, to treat such cases, antihistamines and epinephrine are administered to the patient. Parents of children with cow’s milk allergy should also keep supplies of those drugs in their medicine cabinets because they would be necessary if ever the children would accidentally take in cow’s milk. Infants and babies will be switched to hydrolystate or soy-based milk formulas from milk-based formulas. Remember, it is the protein contained in cow’s milk that cause the allergy so switching to another formula milk brand would not be helpful. Mothers who breast-feed infants and babies diagnosed with cow’s milk should instead cut intakes or eliminate dairy products in their diet so the cow’s milk protein would not be passed on to the infants. As general prevention measure , all formula milk based on cow’s milk should be eliminated on the baby’s diet.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Charlene J. Nuble 2006.For answers to All your frequently asked questions about cow's milk allergy, please go to: http://cows-milk-allergy.allergyanswers.net/ or go to: http://allergyanswers.net/
