Few Adults Are Allergic To Cow’s Milk
Few Adults Are Allergic To Cow’s Milk
People who are allergic to cow’s milk can also be allergic to milk from other animals such as goats, sheep, and buffalo. Symptoms of milk allergy vary and range from mild reactions to a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). Some people experience symptoms immediately, but in others, the symptoms can take time to develop.
Milk allergy is most commonly caused by an allergy to cow’s milk, although some people are allergic to milk from other animals such as goats, sheep, and buffalo.
In allergies, the immune system reacts to trigger molecules (allergens). Your immune system produces antibodies that detect the allergen, causing inflammatory reactions and the release of a chemical called histamine, both of which cause allergic symptoms. In the case of milk, the trigger molecules are two milk proteins called whey and casein. You or your child may be allergic to either one of these proteins, or both.
Symptoms that can appear within minutes of having a small amount of milk include:
- raised red bumps of skin – hives (urticaria)
- itchy, red, weeping or crusty rash of the skin – dermatitis or eczema
- swelling of the face
- wheeze or persistent cough
- vomiting
- diarrhea.
Symptoms that can appear within hours include:
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- rashes or eczema.
Symptoms that can appear within days include:
- eczema
- diarrhea
- asthma.
Diagnosis of cow’s milk allergy
If you or your child have allergic symptoms, visit your family doctor who will ask some questions about your reactions. You can also discuss the record of your symptoms. To diagnose your allergy, your doctor may refer you to a specialist doctor, known as an allergist or clinical immunologist.
If your symptoms appear rapidly after eating or drinking milk or dairy products, the allergy may be easier to diagnose, whereas symptoms that take longer to appear to make diagnosis more difficult.
Allergists can test for allergies using a number of methods depending on the type of potential allergy. To test for an allergy, the allergist may:
- do a skin prick test
- do a blood test
- ask you to temporarily avoid all milk or products containing milk (elimination diet), then follow up with the introduction of milk back into your diet (food challenge) under strict medical supervision.
A number of methods claim to test for allergies but have not been medically or scientifically proven. They can be costly and could lead to dangerous avoidance of certain foods. ASCIA recommends that you do not use certain methods to have potential allergies tested, including:
- cytotoxic food testing
- electrodermal testing
- hair analysis
- iridology
- kinesiology
- pulse testing
- reflexology
- Vega testing.
Always speak with your doctor if you are thinking of using a complementary medicine or therapy to test for allergies.
To avoid milk and milk products, read food labels and avoid foods that contain milk or milk products such as:
- butter
- buttermilk
- casein and caseinate
- cheese
- chocolate
- cow’s or goat’s milk – including ‘A2 milk’
- cream
- crème Fraiche
- ghee
- ice cream
- margarine that contains milk products
- milk powder
- nougat
- whey
- yogurt.
Some reactions to milk are not caused by allergies
Some people can have a physical reaction to milk that is not due to an allergy. If you lack an enzyme called lactase, which breaks down the milk sugar lactose, you can experience symptoms that seem similar to an allergy (diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain and gas). This is called lactose intolerance and is different from milk allergy because it does not involve your immune system reacting to a trigger molecule. Some people also experience excess thick mucus in their throat after eating or drinking dairy products, but this is not caused by an allergy.
Few Adults Are Allergic To Cow’s Milk.