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.
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
The stool acidity test is a test for diagnosing intolerance to lactose, the
sugar contained in milk, in infants and very young children.
What is lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest the
lactose sugar in milk. Milk containing the sugar lactose is a main source of
nutrition for infants and
young children. With normal lactose tolerance, all of the lactose is digested
(broken down into two smaller sugars) and absorbed in the small intestine so
that none reaches the colon.
On the other hand, in individuals with lactose
intolerance who lack the intestinal enzyme that breaks down the lactose, the
ingested lactose is neither digested nor absorbed in the small intestine and
reaches the colon where it is used by the bacteria in the colon.
The bacteria produce chemicals that cause diarrhea and also produce
gas. Some of
the chemicals produced by bacteria include lactic and other acids that turn the
stool acidic.
Individuals with intolerance to lactose cannot drink regular cow's
milk without developing diarrhea, gas, and often abdominal pain. They instead
must drink substitutes like rice or soy milk or treat cow's milk with an enzyme
that digests the lactose (Lactaid) so that the smaller sugars can be absorbed in
the small intestine.
How does the stool acidity test work?
During the stool acidity test, infants and very young
children are given lactose to drink. With normal tolerance to lactose, all of
the lactose is digested and absorbed in the small intestine. In individuals who
are lactose intolerant, some or all of the lactose is not digested and absorbed
in the small intestine and reaches the colon. Through the action of the colonic
bacteria, the
stool becomes acid. The acidity of stools that are passed after ingestion of the
lactose then is measured. If the stool becomes acid, the individual is
intolerant of lactose.
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).
In lactose intolerance, the digestive system cannot digest lactose (the main sugar in milk). Symptoms of lactose intolerance include diarrhea, flatulence, abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, abdominal distention, and nausea. There are several tests to diagnose lactose intolerance. Treatment is generally made with dietary changes, supplements, and adaptation to small amounts of milk.
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.
Children's health is focused on the well-being of children from conception through adolescence. There are many aspects of children's health, including growth and development, illnesses, injuries, behavior, mental illness, family health and community health.
Diarrhea
is an increase in the frequency of bowel movements or a decrease in the form
of stool (greater looseness of stool). Although changes in frequency of
bowel movements and looseness of stools can vary independently of each other,
changes often occur in both.
Diarrhea needs to be distinguished from four other conditions. Although these conditions may accompany
diarrhea, they often have different causes and different treatments than
diarrhea. These other conditions are:
incontinence of stool, which is the inability to
control (delay) bowel movements until an appropriate time, for example, until one can
get to the toilet
rectal urgency, which is a sudden urge to have a
bowel movement that is so strong that if a toilet is not immediately available
there will be incontinence
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