10 Tips on Lactose Intolerance

A good short summary of tips on LI from the British publication Pulse, written by gastroenterologists John Leeds and David Sanders. What follows is not the entire article, of course, but just the first sentences of each of the ten sections.

1. Lactose intolerance comes in many forms and each responds to different degrees of therapy.

2. Symptoms depend upon age and may mimic other conditions.

3. Secondary lactose intolerance is common.

4. Involvement of a dietitian may be helpful in preventing dietary imbalance.

5. Medications often contain lactose but not usually enough to cause symptoms.

6. Complete lactose withdrawal is not always needed.

7. Lactose intolerance is genetic and recessive.

8. A number of laboratory tests exist but none is 100% sensitive.

9. Treatment of primary lactose intolerance depends upon clinical symptoms.

10. Most patients can be diagnosed and treated in primary care.