MILK ALLERGY

Milk allergy occurs when the immune system over-reacts to the presence

of proteins in milk. The body views the protein in milk as a foreign body then starts producing antibodies to fight it off.

It occurs in about 3 percent of infants.

As the child gets older, the allergic reactions to milk may subside and affect less that 1 percent of children. For some, as they get older they outgrow it.

Symptoms of milk allergy:

The strong reaction to cow milk products often starts within few minutes of consuming milk, even though sometimes especially in adults, the reaction will start within days.

In children and even adults, symptoms can manifest as refusal to eat, loose stools, swelling of the tongue, lips and sometimes the entire face, shortness of breath, diarrhea, rashes, vomitting, sometimes Anaphylaxis leading to fainting and if left untreated or ignored it may but rarely lead to death.

Prevention:

Prevention of milk allergy in babies involve making sure there is no cow milk or cow milk containing food given to the baby. 

Sometimes, heating milk or food containing milk denatures the food which makes it more tolerable. 

Exclusive breastfeeding is advised from birth up to 6 months old.  After six months of exclusive breastfeeding, the baby can be gradually fed cow milk as the baby's tolerance is closely observed.

If the baby is given a special formula for infants to prevent allergic reactions, this should continue until the doctor permits a change. 

Alternatively, the baby can also be fed soy milk even though some infants or children react to soy milk

Here are the foods to avoid if you are allergic to milk:

Milk eg. Cow milk, goat milk

Yogurt

Any kind of butter even butter flavor

Cheese

Ghee

Custard

Cream 

Sour cream

Nisin 

Whey

Etc. 

How to know if you are allergic to milk:

Skin Test 

The doctor will perform a test on a section of the skin called a Skin Test.

In this test, the skin is pierced or pricked slightly and a tiny amount of allergen found in milk is added to the skin. If a skin patch test is being performed, the patch containing the protein is attached to the pricked spot on the skin. Then the skin is closely observed for a reaction. If the test area looks irritated and a bit swollen, it confirms milk allergy.

Blood Test:

Measures antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE) present in your blood.

Treatment:

There is no guaranteed cure for milk allergies, so one is advised to completely avoid milk or foods containing milk since even taking a very low quantity of milk can trigger the reaction.

Your doctor can offer alternative treatments to help alleviate the symptoms.

It can take up to three weeks for milk allergy to leave your system. 

Note:

Milk allergy is not Lactose Intolerance.

Lactose Intolerance is the body's inability to digest sugar present in milk and other diary products. This is caused by a deficiency of lactase enzyme in the body leading to severe bloating, diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and pain.