How is lactose intolerance different than a milk allergy?

Answer 1

One may become allergic to proteins in milk. E.g. allergic to a certain cow milk or to cows' milk in general. That is different thing than to do not digest lactose, which is sugar, and to get flatulence from products of its microbial decomposition...

People may become allergic o a number of proteins, not only present in milk, e.g. from badly filtered beer.

Allergy means that hypersensitive immune response is involved. Usually the body (blood) do not have direct contact with external proteins, because these are destroyed first by secretion of digestive tract to aminoacids and absorbed only after this. But, in case of gastric or duodenal or other ulcers, other damage of mucosa barrier, proteins contact with blood cells directly and may trigger reaction against foreign proteins. T and B white cells fight it, digest and keep in memory for future all info about this "invader".

Answer 2

What the previous answerer, abrakatabra, refers in her 3nd paragraph for the allergies is correct(I loved your nickname), but I perceive the milk allergy as a food protein allergy.
That is, a mistaken reaction of the body to a normally harmless substance(an allergen).
This is something that can come and go. It is not something permanent that can be
caracterised as an allergy to milk.

Regarding ivakatie's (1st answerer) answer, I think that there is a little of confusion ; a milk allergy, does not mean lack of specific enzymes (lactase) for milk digestion : this is what we call milk intollerance. The person can either supplement his diet with a medicinal or OTC product for this purpose or eat lactose-free products.
But this is a complex question, as the problem is dose-dependent. That is, usually(but not always) it requires just to eat less of this food and he will not have any problem.
In the lactose intollerance, the person can better tollerate yoghurt than milk.

There is an infinity of links you can go through for this argument and you can find an infinity of solutions, valid and less valid.
Whatever you would choose, cross with the opinion of the specialist.

Katerina

Answer 3

Well,we assume that intolerance and allergy concerning milk are twp different case.There are people who are with low digestibility of lactose and cannot intake dairy products like Milk,cheese,etc.,because in majority of cases that causes them more than a simple disposition..As to the milk allergy,which is rare,the person has not the specific enzymes needed to assume the milk..Good luck!!

Answer 4

That's a good question. I'm lactose intolerant or could I have a milk allergy? Out of curiousity, I looked it up and found this site.

http://www.cryingoverspiltmilk.co.nz/Food/LactoseIntolerancevsMilkProteinAllergy.htm