15 Symptoms Of Lactose Intolerance You Should Know
The signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance mainly involve the digestive tract, starting from the mouth or oral cavity then esophagus that opens into the stomach. After churning of food in the stomach it makes it way to the small intestine for further breakdown and absorption. Within 20-30 minutes to an hour after a high lactose diet, a person with hypolactasia presents with symptoms of lactose intolerance. This mostly includes bloating, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and pain, vomiting and flatulence. Symptoms persist till lactose is expelled from the body, about 48 hours of transit time of food. [4]
Other symptoms can be discussed as general or systemic symptoms. We can understand how these symptoms develop in a stepwise fashion.
Bloating:
Bloating or gas production is one of the most common symptoms of lactose intolerance. More inside physiology of this symptom can be explained by understanding the molecular identity of lactose. Unable to be digested in the small intestine, it accumulates there. Being osmotically active substance it attracts water in the gut. This causes the small intestine to swell and distends the intestine lumen, causing bloating. The extent of this bloating depends upon the individual sensitivity to lactose and not upon the amount of lactose ingested.