Milk has always been considered a very useful product, as it contains vital substances. Despite this, milk allergy is quite common. Nowadays, it is easy to find in any grocery store. The assortment of milk is considered one of the most diverse. After all, this product is presented on the shelves from various animals and different processing. The symptoms of milk allergy in adults and children are quite varied. It is very difficult to associate the manifestation of the disease with a certain type of product. The most common allergy is cow's milk protein, which can be found in a huge number of products: yogurt, cheese, ice cream and even sausage.
Why do people get allergic to milk?
Most often, allergic reactions appear from childhood. It is worth remembering that it is better not to give cow's milk to babies, replacing it with mother's. In addition, there is an opinion that too late attachment to the baby’s breast can also cause an ailment.
Risk factors for dairy allergies include:
- heredity, if one of the close relatives suffers from this disease, then the chance of getting sick increases;
- excessive consumption of milk by a mother while breastfeeding;
- features of the body, in particular the immune system; here refers to hypersensitivity to dietary supplements;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver; these organs are an important link in the process of digestion of dairy products and protein breakdown;
- negative effects of the external environment, meaning stress, polluted ecology, malnutrition.
Reasons for rejection of milk by the body
It is worth noting that milk of animal origin can be rejected by humans due to two factors. The first is lactase deficiency. A certain proportion of the population suffers from this disease, namely, complete or partial intolerance to milk sugar. If the body lacks a special lactase enzyme produced in the intestines, then the immune system gives an adverse reaction when milk enters.
Lactase deficiency is one of the causes of allergies in adults. Sometimes a rational step would be to replace milk with sour-milk products: sour cream, kefir, etc. However, these products should be consumed with caution, without getting too carried away.
Allergy to cow's milk protein (protein) is the second cause of the disease. ATAn animal product contains about 25 different types of protein. In most cases, allergies occur to several types at once. There are situations when the disease is expressed in a contact form, that is, when milk gets on the skin, blisters or redness appear.
Symptoms of milk allergy in adults
As already noted, this disease can manifest itself in various ways. The only thing that remains common is that the consumption of dairy products leads to their occurrence. The severity of symptoms depends on many factors, including the sensitivity of the body, the level of immunity, etc.
The main symptoms of milk allergy in adults include:
- diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain; these symptoms are rare in adults but do occur;
- nasal congestion, mucosal edema, rhinitis;
- general symptoms including dizziness, fainting, rapid breathing; sometimes the temperature rises with allergies in adults;
- appearance of redness and blisters on the skin, accompanied by itching; it is worth noting that it is strictly forbidden to open them;
- Quincke's edema - this sign is considered a manifestation of the most severe form of allergy; if you do not start treatment in a timely manner, this can lead to death; appears as a result of the accumulation of fluid in the face; this leads to swelling of the nose, neck, and chest.
It must be said that Quincke's edema is also accompanied by stuffy ears, cough and hoarseness.
Will replacing cow's milk with goat's milk help?
A person consumes dairy products from the following animals: cow, goat, camel, sheep, horse. All species contain approximately the same proteins. Therefore, if there is a problem of intolerance to cow's milk, then replacing it with goat's milk or any other is unlikely to help.
Scientists have revealed an interesting fact: sometimes adults and children develop an allergy exclusively to powdered milk, while they can consume whole milk without problems. The fact is that in this case, intolerance is not expressed due to milk protein. The activators of the disease are the changes that have occurred in proteins and fats.
Can there be an allergy to milk from the mother? Here the answer is unambiguously negative. Although sometimes there are cases when the mother herself consumes a large amount of milk during feeding. Then the child may have a reaction to the proteins that enter his body.
What can replace milk for allergies?
If you have such a problem, you need to choose the most appropriate analogues. For dairy allergies, doctors recommend the following replacements (plant-based):
- soy milk is the most common analogue that contains all the necessary substances for our body;
- oat milk is a rather useful product, especially effective in the treatment of colds;
- rice milk - sold ready-made, if you wish, you can make it yourself;
- coconut milk is the most controversial option, as this product is also capable ofcause allergies.
Diagnosis
When the first signs of illness appear, you should immediately consult an allergist. It is he who is able to make an accurate diagnosis, identify the causes of allergies in adults and children. First, he will make a full examination and collect the necessary information about the development of pathology.
In most cases, these procedures are not enough to make an accurate diagnosis, so a number of other studies are being carried out. Among them are:
- general clinical and biochemical blood test; if the number of leukocytes is increased, and an excessive concentration of reactive protein is also observed, then there is a possibility that this is an allergy;
- immunogram;
- skin experiments; scratch with various allergens to reveal what is causing the reaction;
- determination of the most sensitive antibodies and cells - this test allows you to determine allergies with 90% certainty.
Treatment
It is worth remembering that as soon as there are signs of illness (temperature with allergies in adults, dizziness, blistering), you need to make an appointment with a specialist. The main treatment for milk intolerance is diet. You should remove all dairy products from the diet and avoid contact with milk. In addition, you need to stop eating foods that cause high sensitivity to external stimuli.
When it comes to medicines, doctors often prescribeantihistamines. They have an anti-inflammatory effect. Also, during therapy, it is welcome to take antispasmodic and antidiarrheal drugs.
Folk methods of dealing with allergies
Every ailment can be treated with folk remedies. However, disputes about their effectiveness do not stop until now. In the fight against milk allergy, a variety of herbal decoctions, mummy, homeopathic remedies, biologically active additives are used. Ayurvedic treatment of the disease is quite common.
When symptoms of milk allergy appear in adults, many people use folk remedies. They are used very often, and, of course, they make a certain contribution to the treatment of the disease. However, from a scientific point of view, this cannot be proven. The use of traditional methods does not guarantee a positive result. The main thing is to remember about safety. Indeed, with improper treatment, complications can arise that will lead to unpleasant consequences.
Diet
As already noted, you need to use a hypoallergenic diet. After all, only a complete rejection of contact with the irritant can provide some security. All products containing milk should be excluded. But there is a high probability that an allergy to sour-milk products will not manifest itself. This is due to the fact that irritants are eliminated and do not pose a danger.
In case of protein intolerance, it is necessary to exclude those products in which itcontained in large quantities. Among them are cow's milk, ice cream, as well as some confectionery and bakery products. It is worth remembering that allergies are a serious illness. If treatment is not started on time, Quincke's edema may develop. And it can lead to death. Watch your he alth to avoid unpleasant situations.
