lactose intolerance
Sign in to savecondition involving a decreased ability to digest lactose due to a lack of lactase in the small intestines, either genetically or from injury
AI overview
Lactose intolerance is a condition where your small intestines don't produce enough of an enzyme called lactase, either because of your genetics or due to an injury, which makes it harder for your body to digest lactose—a sugar found in milk and dairy products. It matters because people with this condition may experience digestive discomfort after consuming dairy, so understanding whether they have it can help them manage their diet and feel better.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
Lactose intolerance is caused by a lessened ability or a complete inability to digest lactose, a sugar found in dairy products. Humans vary in the amount of lactose they can tolerate before symptoms develop. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, flatulence, and nausea. These symptoms typically start thirty minutes to two hours after eating or drinking something containing lactose, with the severity typically depending on the amount consumed. Lactose intolerance does not cause damage to the gastrointestinal tract.
Lactose intolerance is due to the lack of the enzyme lactase in the small intestines to break lactose down into glucose and galactose. There are four types: primary, secondary, developmental, and congenital. Primary lactose intolerance occurs as the amount of lactase declines as people grow up. Secondary lactose intolerance is due to injury to the small intestine. Such injury could be the result of infection, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, or other diseases. Developmental lactose intolerance may occur in premature babies and usually improves over a short period of time. Congenital lactose intolerance is an extremely rare genetic disorder in which little or no lactase is made from birth. The reduction of lactase production starts typically in late childhood or early adulthood, and prevalence increases with age.