Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
The blood glucose test is an older test for lactase deficiency and lactose
intolerance. For the blood glucose test, lactose is ingested (usually 0.75 to
1.5 gm of lactose per kg of body weight) after an overnight fast, and serial
blood samples are drawn and analyzed for glucose. If the level of blood glucose
rises more than 25 mg/100ml, it means that the lactose has been split in the
intestine and the resulting glucose has been absorbed into the blood. This
implies that lactase levels are normal. Unfortunately, the blood glucose test,
though simple in principle, requires the collection of multiple samples of
blood. Moreover, the test has many real and potential problems, the most common
of which is false positive tests, that is, an abnormal test in people who have
normal lactase levels and no lactose intolerance. For these reasons, the blood
glucose test is not often used.
Stool acidity test
The
stool acidity test is a test for lactase deficiency in
infants and young children. For the stool acidity test, the infant or child is given a small
amount of lactose orally. Several consecutive stool samples then are tested for
acidity. With a deficiency of lactase, unabsorbed lactose enters the colon and
is split into glucose and galactose. Some of the glucose and galactose is broken
down by the bacteria into acids, for example, lactic acid. Lactic acid turns the
stool acidic. Therefore, a lactase deficient infant or child will develop an
acidic stool following the test dose of lactose.
Despite the availability of the stool acidity test, the superiority of breath
testing has led to modifications in the equipment for collecting breath samples that
makes it easier to do breath testing in young children and even infants. As a
result, the stool acidity test is not done frequently.
Intestinal biopsy
The most direct test for lactase deficiency is biopsy of the intestinal
lining with measurement of lactase levels in the lining. The biopsy can be
obtained by endoscopy or by
special capsules that are passed through the mouth or nose and into the small
intestine. The analysis of lactase levels in the
biopsy requires specialized procedures that are not often available, and, as a
result, lactase levels are not often measured except for research purposes.
Lactose Intolerance - Symptoms at Onset of DiseaseQuestion: The symptoms of lactose intolerance can vary greatly from patient to patient. What were your symptoms at the onset of your disease?
Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
Diarrhea is a change is the frequency and looseness of bowel movements. Cramping, abdominal pain, and the sensation of rectal urgency are all symptoms of diarrhea. Absorbents and anti-motility medications are used to treat diarrhea.
Gas or "intestinal gas" means different things to different people. Everyone has gas and eliminates it by belching or farting (passing it through the rectum).
Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease,
primarily involving the small and large intestine, but which can
affect other parts of the digestive system as well. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and weight loss are
common symptoms.
Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The causes of vomiting differ according to age, and treatment depends upon the cause of nausea and vomiting.
Celiac disease is a result of an immune reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat or related grains and present in many foods that we eat. Celiac disease causes impaired absorption and digestion of nutrients through the small intestine. Signs and symptoms of celiac disease include malabsorbption (diarrhea, foul smelling gas, bloating, and increased amounts of fat in the stool) and malnutrition (weight loss, edema, anemia, bruising easily, neuropathy, and infertility). Treatment for celiac disease is a gluten free diet, and at times if necessary, medications
Learn about osteoporosis, a condition characterized by the loss of bone density, which leads to an increased risk of bone fracture. Unless one experiences a fracture, a person may have osteoporosis for decades without knowing it. Treatment for osteoporosis may involve medications that stop bone loss and increase bone strength and bone formation, as well as quitting smoking, regular exercise, cutting back on alcohol intake, and eating a calcium- and vitamin D-rich balanced diet.
Dyspepsia (indigestion) is a functional disease in which the gastrointestinal organs, primarily the stomach and first part of the small intestine, function abnormally. It is a chronic disease in which the symptoms fluctuate infrequency and intensity. Symptoms of dyspepsia include upper abdominal pain, belching, nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating, early satiety, and abdominal distention (swelling). These symptoms are most often provoked by eating.
The most common food allergies are to eggs, nuts, milk, peanuts, fish, shellfish, strawberries and tomatoes. Symptoms and signs include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, itching, hives, eczema, asthma, lightheadedness, and anaphylaxis. Allergy skin tests, RAST, and ELISA tests may be used to diagnose a food allergy. Though dietary avoidance may be sufficient treatment for mild allergies, the use of an Epipen may be necessary for severe food allergies.
There are a number of different methods of birth control to include: barrier methods, IUDs, hormonal methods, natural methods, and surgical sterilization. Birth control methods can be reversible or permanent. In simple terms, all methods of birth control are based on either preventing a man's sperm from reaching and entering a woman's egg (fertilization) or preventing the fertilized egg from implanting in the woman's uterus (her womb) and starting to grow.
Digestion is the complex process of turning food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated, and is made of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food.
Setting a good example for your children when it comes to diet and exercise will help them to make healthy decisions about nutrition and fitness. Eating calcium-rich foods and performing weight-bearing exercise will help your children prevent osteoporosis and fractures later in life.
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