With around 65% of the population having a reduced ability to digest lactose, it is one of the most common intolerances. Many may only experience slight symptoms, such as bloating. For others, the lactose intolerance can have a much more severe impact on their life, resulting in serious side effects such as sickness.
So, if you find that you experience discomfort after eating, there’s a chance that it could be due to an intolerance. But just how do you find out if you need a lactose intolerance test? Read on as we take a closer look.
Signs of lactose intolerance
Lactose intolerance is when the digestive system struggles to break down the sugar, lactose, that’s often found in dairy products. The easiest way to identify if there’s a possibility that you may be lactose intolerant is by first looking at your symptoms, and when they tend to appear.
Discomfort in your stomach area may begin to appear from 30 minutes to a couple of hours after eating a meal containing lactose in ingredients such as cheese or milk. Those symptoms often include flatulence, bloating and rumbling noises, as well as more severe symptoms such as diarrhoea, stomach cramps and sickness.
Often, the severity of those symptoms can depend on how much lactose has been eaten but can also depend on how much your digestive system struggles to break it down.
Lactose intolerance tests
If you experience those symptoms after eating, there’s a chance you may be lactose intolerant, and it is a sign that you should take a test. Understandably, you’ll want to get to the root of the issue so you can enjoy a healthier and happier diet, but just how can you do so?
There are many different ways to identify lactose intolerance. One way is to keep a food diary where you can keep track of what you’re eating and matching the appearance of your symptoms to specific ingredients. There are also invasive tests, including a small bowel biopsy.
However, the simplest and quickest way of identifying lactose intolerance is through a quick blood test. The blood test will see how your blood reacts to the introduction of lactose, seeing whether your blood sugar rises or not. If it doesn’t increase or it rises slowly, the test will identify your intolerance.
Order your lactose intolerance test
Getting to the root of your digestive problems will help you make informed adjustments to your diet so you can live a happier and healthier life. Ready to make the change? Order your intolerance kit today.
