There’s nothing quite as scary as having an allergy that you aren’t aware of. Why would it be scary if you don’t know about it, you ask? Because an allergic reaction — no matter how mild the symptoms may be — is a serious reaction in your body to something that it considers to be a threat. Understanding any allergy that you may have is going to be important for your overall health and wellness. Think you’re allergic to milk? Take a look at common symptoms.
Can you be allergic to milk?
Yes, you can be allergic to milk, though it is thought to be a rare allergy. A lot of milk allergies turn out to be lactose intolerance when formally diagnosed. However, milk allergies can certainly exist and can range in severity. There are a few symptoms that you can expect.
•Colic: This is a common sign — if not the most common sign — of a milk allergy in babies. This one is often accompanies with runny eyes and a runny nose, though those symptoms can often be difficult to sort out from the colic in itself!
•Hives or a rash: Hives or a rash that either itches of burns is another popular sign of a milk allergy. It often will pop up immediately after eating the milk product.
•Itchiness or tingling of the lips, or tongue: If you feel discomfort specifically around the mouth after having a milk product, it could be another sign indicating that you are dealing with an allergy
•Anaphylaxis: Having an anaphylactic reaction to milk is rare, but it certainly happen, especially in young children or babies.
Milk allergy reminders
If you think you are dealing with a milk allergy, take a moment to consider what kind of milk product could be causing the reaction. It doesn’t necessarily need to be cow’s milk. It could be almond milk or goat’s milk or any other kind of milk that you are consuming.
As with all allergies, it is important to remember that one reaction does not guarantee a future one. That is, if you just have a suspected mild allergic reaction, it’s easy to think that it’ll just be like that the next time that you have a milk product, but the science does not support this. What is a mild reaction one time, could be a severe reaction another time. The opposite could also be true. As soon as you think you may have an allergy to milk, a proper and professional allergy test should be conducted to tell you for sure.
A milk allergy is rare, sure, especially when compared to other allergies such as peanuts. However, it still requires proper diagnosis and avoidance in your diet in order to make sure that you avoid any unfortunate or dangerous symptoms. If you aren’t sure if you have an allergy, or you want to differentiate between an allergy and a possible intolerance, professional lab-based testing is your best option to get concrete results for this health-related question.
