There is no connection between lactose intolerance and asthma. If you develop asthmatic symptoms when you consume dairy products, you are most likely allergic to milk, not lactose intolerant. These two conditions are commonly confused with one another because they are related to ingesting dairy and cause similar digestive symptoms. If you develop asthma after consuming dairy products, you need to see your doctor to determine the cause.
Lactose Intolerance
About 30 million adults in the United States experience symptoms of lactose intolerance by age 20, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Lactose intolerance occurs mostly because of the natural aging process. At birth, your intestines produce large amounts of lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose, the sugar in milk. As you age, your intestines produce less. If your body slows down too much, you will become intolerant of lactose, unable to properly digest it. The undigested lactose interacts with bacteria in the colon, resulting in common digestive symptoms.
Lactose Intolerant Symptoms
Lactose intolerant symptoms will only affect your digestive system and will not cause inflammation in any other part of your body. The most common symptoms of lactose intolerance include bloating, floating stools, diarrhea, abdominal fullness, abdominal distention, abdominal cramps, flatulence, malnutrition, weight loss and slow growth. Symptoms appear anywhere from 20 minutes up to a few hours after you consume dairy.
Asthma Consideration
Asthma is the result of inflammation in your lungs that restricts your airways, causing wheezing, coughing and trouble breathing. These symptoms are not related to lactose intolerance but are related to a milk allergy. A milk allergy causes systematic symptoms that can affect your respiratory system, digestive system, skin and cardiovascular system. After you consume milk, your immune system identifies the proteins in milk as dangerous and begins attacking them with immunoglobulin E antibodies that cause your mast cells to produce histamine. Histamine produced in your lungs will cause inflammation and asthmatic symptoms.
Diagnosis and Treatment
To confirm that you have a milk allergy, you need to see an allergist to test and diagnose your condition. An allergist will expose your skin or a sample of your blood to the proteins found in milk. If your body produces immunoglobulin E antibodies, you are allergic to milk proteins. The most effective way to treat asthma from a milk allergy is to avoid consuming dairy products.
