Signs You Are Lactose Intolerant

By Abigail 1 year ago

1. You feel nauseous after eating milk

image source: Reddit
Okay, this one's a little obvious. But do you feel a little sick after your bowl of cereal in the morning? Or after drinking a latte in a cafe? This is one of the first signs that you could be lactose intolerant: feeling incredibly nauseous almost immediately after drinking milk. But remember: it's not just milk, and a lot of products you eat could be hiding milk in the ingredients.

2. You get diarrhoea regularly

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This isn't the most pleasant of symptoms at all. But lactose intolerance can actually cause frequent diarrhoea. Of course, you probably know if you're having to run to the toilet every few hours with diarrhoea that something is probably wrong in your diet. And, actually, diarrhoea can also be a symptom of celiac disease, too.

3. You're always bloated

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Being bloated is fairly normal, so you don't necessarily need to worry if you feel bloated a couple of times a week after eating a really fibrous meal - so one with lots of fruit or vegetables - or by eating too fast. But if you're getting bloated almost every day, and you regularly eat milk, then it could be lactose intolerance.

4. Gas Overload!

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Remember, being gassy is normal (even if you can't do it in front of your significant other!) But needing to relieve yourself every 20 minutes? Not so normal. Excess gas is caused by a lack of the digestive substance lactase, which usually helps to break down lactose in the gut. When this doesn't happen, lactose remains in the digestive system and is attacked by bacteria, which can cause lots of gas to build up.

5. You get tummy pain

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Tummy pain is a common symptom of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), so it can be difficult to work out if this is actually caused by lactose intolerance. But if after eating a meal with lots of milk in it (say, mac and cheese, a milky coffee, or a grilled cheese), you start to feel pain in your lower abdomen, it's quite likely that you could be lactose intolerant.

6. Your stomach makes gurgling sounds

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Rumbling noises in the stomach actually have an official name: borborygmi. What you're hearing is actually just the muscles in the intestines contracting and squeezing all the food through your gut. You might hear more noises if you have lactose intolerance, as the lactose irritates the bacteria in your gut.

7. You have to throw up after eating

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Throwing up is never pleasant, and is usually associated with eating something that your body outright rejects - so, usually food that's gone off or that's been cooked badly. If you have lactose intolerance, as well as feeling nauseous after eating milk, you might also feel an urgent need to throw up. It makes sense, really - your body can't digest the milk, and wants it gone from your body.

8. Lactaid pills take your symptoms away

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Lactaid is a type of enzyme pill that lactose intolerant people can take to help their body digest lactose. These pills and others like Lactaid contain lactase, which helps your body to break down the lactose into smaller sugar molecules. By taking these pills, you're increasing the likelihood that you can digest milk and you won't be left with all the uncomfortable symptoms associated with lactose intolerance. So, if taking these pills helps you, you probably have a lactose intolerance.

9. You get a rash on your face

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Food intolerances can cause more symptoms than just digestive discomfort. For example, some people with lactose intolerance even break out in a rash after eating milk. These are usually seen in young babies who have a milk allergy, but you could also develop them as an adult. If you notice red, swelling, or itchy skin regularly in sensitive areas like the face or the neck, and can connect it with something that you've eaten, it could be lactose intolerance.

10. You feel unwell a lot

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Generally feeling unwell is quite common in people with food intolerances. Sometimes you just can't pinpoint what the symptom is, just that you feel sick. Maybe you have a bit of a headache, you're more tired than normal, or your stomach feels wrong. Whatever the range of symptoms are, it could be lactose intolerance causing you to feel unwell.

11. You get cramps after eating

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If you're a woman reading this, you don't need me to explain the symptoms of cramps to you - they're an unwelcome occurrence pretty much every month. But did you know that you might get cramps if you have lactose intolerance too? They usually start within 30 minutes to 2 hours of eating milk, so it's easy to identify them as a food intolerance rather than anything else.

12. You struggle to pee

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It's a weird one, but those who have struggled with this in the past will recognise it. But do you often feel like your bladder is full but you just can't naturally go to the toilet? If it feels like a struggle every day, and you eat a lot of milk, then it could be lactose intolerance. Try going without milk for 3-7 days and see if the symptoms clear up.

13. You get frequent mouth ulcers

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Mouth ulcers are often a symptom of food intolerances - people who are allergic or intolerant to gluten can also get them after eating bread. If you notice painful mouth ulcers on the inside of your lips or at the side of your mouth, and they're not just a one-off, but happen quite often, then it could be a sign of an intolerance like lactose intolerance.

14. You struggle with eczema

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Eczema is much more serious than just getting a rash on your face after eating milk, but if you have a serious allergy or intolerance to gluten then it could be making eczema worse. In fact, one of the first things many people with eczema are told to do is cut out dairy. This is because eczema is an inflammatory condition, and dairy can cause inflammation in some people, making it worse.

15. You're constipated a lot

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We've already mentioned diarrhoea as a common symptom of lactose intolerance, but now we're saying the opposite can happen: what's that about? Well, lactose can affect people very differently, especially if you have an underlying condition like IBS. This means that some people could experience diarrhoea, while others get frequent constipation instead.

16. You're feeling tired all the time

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Aren't we all tired, though? It's such a common symptom, that it can be very difficult to actually link it to eating milk. Some tiredness is obviously normal, especially if you lead a stressful life. However, if it's been a long time (say, a few weeks or months), and your tiredness just isn't going away, then it might be worth investigating if it's something in your diet like milk that's causing it.

17. You get headaches all the time

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Headaches can be really common for some people. In fact, it's known that women get more frequent headaches than men. However, in some cases, frequent headaches can be a symptom of something wrong with your diet, such as eating milk when you actually can't digest it.

18. You're experiencing muscle pain

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You're no stranger to muscle pain if you regularly work out. But what if you don't really life weights? Or exert a lot of pressure on your muscles? If you're intolerant to lactose, then you might actually experience mysterious muscle pain, which is another weird effect of your body struggling to digest the milk.

19. And pain in your joints

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Joint pain can be even more surprising for someone who doesn't know that they're lactose intolerant. It's definitely not normal to feel regular pain in your knees, elbows or shoulders, and it would be worth checking out. If you have any of the other symptoms on this list though, then it could be lactose intolerance that you're suffering with.

20. You feel fine after cutting out milk

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Here's the big sign that you're lactose intolerant: cutting it out gets rid of any of your weird symptoms.  It sounds really silly - why wouldn't you cut it out if you think it's a problem? But many people attribute their weird, disconnected symptoms like farting, headaches, or muscle pain to other things like stress or anxiety, and don't connect them to the same thing. So, cut it out, and see how you feel!

21. You feel pain before going to the bathroom

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This is another common IBS symptom that can mean you have a lactose intolerance. Do you often feel pain in your lower abdomen that goes away shortly after going to the bathroom? It's a classic sign of a gut flare-up, which could be caused by not being able to digest milk.

22. You're not throwing up, but you feel nauseous

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Too often, a severe lactose intolerance can cause you to throw up. But sometimes, you may just feel severely nauseous and very close to throwing up, but you can't throw up. Bad nausea can cause you to retch, feel very sweaty, and feel sick when looking at or thinking about food.

23. Your gas is getting particularly smelly

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Not only can lactose intolerance cause gassiness, more than normal, but it could also be smellier than normal. Scientists say that smelly gas actually come from undigested protein in the gut, not from lactose, but there are enough people on the internet that will disagree.

24. Your toilet habits are getting weird

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So, you're definitely not getting diarrhoea, and you're not constipated, but you know that something is definitely not right with your gut. Maybe you need the toilet more often than normal, or your stools look different, or you feel discomfort when going to the bathroom - any changes in your toilet habits could be a symptom of lactose intolerance.

25. You feel light-headed

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Lightheadedness can come on at the weirdest times when you don't expect it, and it's not obvious that it's to do with what you've eaten. But if you can rule out some of the other causes - like the flu or a cold, dehydration, low blood pressure, or ear problems - then it could be lactose intolerance.

26. You get migraines often

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Many people with lactose intolerance don't just suffer from headaches, but from migraines. These are much more serious than the regular headache, and can come with additional symptoms like nausea, vomiting, visual problems, and pain when moving the head. If you get a lot of migraines, try to cut out milk first and see if it's a problem before trying anything else.

27. You have unintended weight loss

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Losing weight isn't always a good thing, especially if you don't know why you're losing weight! In rare cases, this can be a sign of something serious, but before you jump to conclusion, try to link it to what you're eating. Do you have any other symptoms of lactose intolerance?

28. Your poo is black

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Getting very dark or black poos is a classic sign of something in your diet - everything you eat comes out the other end! Usually, this can be attributed to taking high-strength iron tablets, eating blueberries, or eating things with activated charcoal. Or, if you have a lactose intolerance.

29. You're getting bad acne

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Bad acne has long been indirectly linked to eating a lot of milk. You'll see some celebrities say that they don't eat milk precisely for this reason - because it can cause regular break outs. So, if you get a lot bad acne and you don't think it's your hormones (which is also a common cause), then you could try cutting out milk and see if it makes a difference.

30. You have a positive lactose test result

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Here's the biggest sign that you have lactose intolerance: you get a positive food allergy result. Your doctor can recommend you get a test if you display lots of common signs of lactose intolerance that are on this list. During the test, you'll drink something with high levels of lactose in it, then have a blood test a couple of hours later. If your glucose levels spike, that's normal. If your glucose levels haven't spiked, then your body is not digesting the lactose properly. If you need to throw up or urgently go to the toilet at the test centre, that could also be a sign!

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