Dairy Allergies and Dairy Allergy Symptoms

Dairy allergies are often confused with lactose intolerance, which is the inability to digest the sugar lactose. A dairy allergy is the response of the immune system to the protein found in milk and dairy products. A dairy allergy can be mild or serious and varies among individuals.

Virtually all infants who develop cow’s milk allergy do so in the first year of life, with about 80% ‘outgrowing’ their dairy allergy by their fifth birthday. Nearly 25% of these milk-allergic infants retain their their dairy allergy into the second decade of life, and 35% go on to develop other food allergies.

The common symptoms of egg and dairy allergies include:

Major Sources of Dairy:

Milk and other dairy products are a major source of nutrients in the American diet. One of the most important of these nutrients is calcium. A concern for both children and adults with dairy allergies is getting enough calcium in a diet that includes little or no dairy products.