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Lactose intolerance is not an allergy but it does affect a lot of people. Knowing more about its characteristics can help you discern whether or not you actually have milk allergy or are just one of the many who suffer from lactose intolerance.

Milk lies at the centre of both milk allergy and lactose intolerance but they are separate conditions with different causes. Lactose intolerance results from a deficiency in the enzyme lactase, the enzyme that helps the body to digest the milk sugar lactose. Lactose, a disaccharide, is composed of two simple sugars, or monosaccharides, and lactase breaks it down so that the intestine can absorb and digest it. Lactose is found in all kinds of milk, including cow, goat, and sheep's milk. Without sufficient lactase, the lactose is broken down by bacterial fermentation instead. It is this fermentation process that releases the acids, carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas that produce the symptoms of lactose intolerance.

Although the actual incidence of lactose intolerance is affected by a person's age and racial background, it is estimated that over half of the world's adult population has a degree of lactose intolerance. While the estimates for lactose intolerance amongst Caucasians is around 15%, the percentage for African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics and Asians is much higher. Lactose intolerance is different from an allergy because it is actually rare in the first two years of life, while milk allergy usually develops in the first six months of life.

The symptoms of lactose intolerance generally appear within several hours of lactose being ingested, although it is not uncommon for some milk and milk-based products to be tolerated without manifesting the usual symptoms. Some of them are similar to those of milk allergy, including vomiting, watery diarrhoea, and abdominal pain. Lactose intolerance, however, does not involve the body's immune system as an allergy does but is focused on the GI tract. These symptoms are mostly located in the lower intestines. Lactose intolerance sufferers may also experience gas, flatulence, cramps and a sensation of feeling bloated. Although it may cause discomfort, this condition in not dangerous and cannot trigger anaphylactic shock.

These symptoms are dose related, which means that some people with the condition can have small amounts of lactose with little or no effect. The level of lactose malabsorption also creates variance in the amount of lactose tolerated.

The treatment for lactose intolerance involves avoiding those dairy products that contain lactose. Some dairy foods only contain a small amount of lactose. Fermented milk products such as yoghurt and sour cream only contain low levels of lactose because much of it has been converted into lactic acid. Other dairy products low in lactose include aged cheese such as cheddar, Swiss, camembert, parmesan and goat's cheese. On the other hand, goat's milk and sheep's milk are not low in lactose and are not suitable for use in a reduced lactose diet.

Lactose intolerance is not an issue when consuming yoghurt, for example, but yoghurt presents a problem for milk allergy sufferers because the milk proteins remain. People with milk allergy should not expect to eat products that are listed as "lactose-free" and not suffer from the symptoms of their allergy. Unlike milk allergy, where the milk protein is the problem, changing the amount of milk sugar used in the product can help lactose intolerance.

Some people take the lactase enzyme in tablet, capsule or powder form before consuming a meal that contains lactose, to assist with its digestion. Some health stores carry lactose-reduced, low-fat milk, which is produced especially for those with lactose intolerance.

Usually the diagnosis of lactose intolerance will be based on consultation with a doctor and an analysis of the symptoms. One possible test related to lactose intolerance is a breath hydrogen excretion test, which may be applied after lactose has been administered to a patient. Your doctor or a registered dietician can help to outline a low lactose diet or tell you whether you simply need to reduce your dairy food intake.