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Milk allergy is an immunologically mediated adverse reaction to one or more cow's milk proteins. Image File history File links Portal. ... An allergy is an abnormal, acquired sensitivity to a given substance, including pollen, drugs, or numerous environmental triggers. ...

In some people the ingestion of cow's milk can trigger the body into launching an inappropriate immune response to the proteins in milk resulting in an allergic reaction. A glass of cows milk. ... A scanning electron microscope image of a single neutrophil (yellow), engulfing anthrax bacteria (orange). ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... Pancreatitus can be caused by an Allergic Reaction to a food. ...

Symptoms

The principal symptoms are gastrointestinal, dermatological and respiratory. These can translate to: skin rash, hives, wheezing, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and distress. The clinical spectrum extends to diverse disorders: anaphylactic reactions, atopic dermatitis, wheeze, infantile colic, gastroesophageal reflux (GER), oesophagitis, allergic colitis and constipation. For the Physics term GUT, please refer to Grand unification theory The gastrointestinal or digestive tract, also referred to as the GI tract or the alimentary canal or the gut, is the system of organs within multicellular animals which takes in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients, and... Dermatology is a branch of medicine dealing with the skin, its structure, functions, and diseases (from Greek derma, skin), as well as its appendages (nails, hair, sweat glands). ... Respiration can refer to: Cellular respiration, which is the use of oxygen in the metabolism of organic molecules. ... For the manga by Tsukasa Hôjô, see Rash. ... Urticaria or Hives is a relatively common form of allergic reaction that causes. ... Wheezes are continuous, coarse, whistling sounds produced in the respiratory airways during breathing. ... Vomiting (also throwing up or emesis) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of ones stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. ... Types 5-7 on the Bristol Stool Chart are often associated with diarrhea Diarrhea (in American English) or diarrhoea (in British English) is a condition in which the sufferer has frequent watery, loose bowel movements (from the Greek word διάρροια; literally meaning through-flowing). Acute infectious diarrhea is a common cause... Constipation or irregularity, is a condition of the digestive system where a person (or animal) experiences hard feces that are difficult to egest; it may be extremely painful, and in severe cases (fecal impaction) lead to symptoms of bowel obstruction. ... Look up Distress in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Anaphylaxis is an acute systemic (multi-system) and severe Type I Hypersensitivity allergic reaction in humans and other mammals. ... A wheeze is a continuous, coarse, whistling sound produced in the respiratory airways during breathing. ... Infant colic (also known as baby colic and three month colic) is a condition in which an otherwise healthy baby cries or screams frequently and for extended periods, without any discernible reason. ... Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD, or GORD when -oesophageal, the BE form, is substituted) is injury to the esophagus that develops from chronic exposure of the esophagus to acid coming up from the stomach (reflux). ... Colitis is a digestive disease characterized by inflammation of the colon. ... Constipation or irregularity, is a condition of the digestive system where a person (or animal) experiences hard feces that are difficult to egest; it may be extremely painful, and in severe cases (fecal impaction) lead to symptoms of bowel obstruction. ...

The symptoms may occur within a few minutes after exposure in immediate reactions, or after hours (and in some cases after several days) in delayed reactions.

Difference with lactose intolerance

Milk allergy is a food allergy, an adverse immune reaction to a food protein that is normally harmless to the non-allergic individual. Lactose intolerance is a non-allergic food hypersensitivity: it is due to the deficiency of the enzyme lactase, which is required to digest the predominant sugar in milk. A food allergy is an immunologic response to a food protein. ... Lactase is a member of the β-galactosidase family of enzyme: enzymes that hydrolysis β 1,4 bonded attachments off of galactose. ...

Difference from milk protein intolerance

Milk protein intolerance (MPI) is delayed reaction to a food protein that is normally harmless to the non-allergic, non-intolerant individual. Milk protein intolerance produces a non-IgE antibody and is not detected by allergy blood tests. Milk protein intolerance produces a range of symptoms very similar to milk allergy symptoms, but can also include blood and/or mucous in the stool. Treatment for milk protein intolerance is the same as for milk allergy. Milk protein intolerance is also referred to as milk soy protein intolerance (MSPI).

Treatment

Currently the only treatment for milk allergies is total avoidance of milk proteins. Products to be avoided by those with milk allergy include:

• milk
• yogurt
• butter
• cheese
• cream

Ingredients that also denote that food product contains dairy milk are:

• whey
• casein
• caseinate
• natural butter flavor.

It is commonplace for milk or milk derivatives to be included in processed foods such as: Casein is the most predominant phosphoprotein found in milk and cheese. ...

• bread
• crackers
• cookies
• cakes
• prepared meats
• "soy cheese"
• soups
• gravies
• potato chips
• Products labeled "non-dairy", such as whipped topping and creamer
• margarine

Also, many processed foods that do not contain milk may be processed on equipment contaminated with dairy foods, which may cause an allergic reaction in some sensitive individuals.

Those who are allergic to cow's milk should also avoid goat's milk and sheep's milk products.

Milk Avoidance and Replacement For Infants

Since milk protein may be transferred from a breastfeeding mother to an allergic infant, lactating mothers are given an elimination diet. For formula fed infants, milk substitute formulas are used to provide the infant with a complete source of nutrition. Milk substitutes include soy based formula, hypoallergenic formulas based on hydrolyzed protein (such as nutramigen, alimentum, and pregestemil) or free amino acids. Soy based formula does have a risk of allergic sensitivity, as some infants who are allergic to milk may also be allergic to soy. A breastfeeding infant Breastfeeding is the practice of a woman feeding an infant (or sometimes a toddler or a young child) with milk produced from her mammary glands, usually directly from the nipples. ... Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction or process in which a chemical compound reacts with water. ... Phenylalanine is one of the standard amino acids. ...

Milk Substitution for Children and Adults

There are many commercially available replacements for milk for children and adults - Rice milk, soy milk, oat milk and almond milk are also sometimes used as milk substitutes, but are not suitable nutrition for infants. Fruit juices supplemented with calcium which may provide an alternative for adults and children. If on an avoidance diet, it is important that dietary advice is taken as a replacement source of calcium may need to be found to prevent the longer term risk of calcium deficiency and osteoporosis. Rice milk is a kind of grain milk processed from rice. ...

Accidental Exposure Treatment for accidental ingestion of milk products by allergic individuals varies depending on the sensitivity of the allergic person. Frequently medications such as an Epinephrine pen or an Antihystamine such as Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) are prescribed by an allergist in case of accidental ingestion. Milk allergy can cause anaphylaxis, a severe, life threatening allergic reaction. Diphenhydramine hydrochloride (trade name Benadryl, as produced by J&J, or Dimedrol outside the U.S. & Canada. ... Anaphylaxis is an acute systemic (multi-system) and severe Type I Hypersensitivity allergic reaction in humans and other mammals. ...

Like many food allergies milk allergy may be outgrown eventually by children, although a percentage of children do not outgrow their allergy. Milk allergy is more likely to be outgrown than peanut allergy.

Statistics

Milk allergy is the most common food allergy. It affects somewhere between 2% and 3% of infants in developed countries, but approximately 85-90% of children lose clinical reactivity to milk once they surpass 3 years of age.^[1]

Between 13% and 20% of children allergic to milk are also allergic to beef.^[2]

Reference

1. ^ Host A. Frequency of cow's milk allergy in childhood. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2002;89(6 Suppl 1):33-7. PMID 12487202.
2. ^ Martelli, A, A. De Chiara et al (2002). "Beef allergy in children with cow's milk allergy; cow's milk allergy in children with beef allergy." Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2002 Dec;89(6 Suppl 1):38-43. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12487203&dopt=Abstract

See also

• Food allergy
• Allergy
• Anaphylaxis

A food allergy is an immunologic response to a food protein. ... An allergy is an abnormal, acquired sensitivity to a given substance, including pollen, drugs, or numerous environmental triggers. ... Anaphylaxis is an acute systemic (multi-system) and severe Type I Hypersensitivity allergic reaction in humans and other mammals. ...

External links

The external links in this article may not comply with Wikipedia's content policies. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links.

• The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network
• Milk Allergy information page. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
• Cooking Allergy Free - milk-free recipes
• Food Allergy Kitchen
• Eating without Casein