Lactose Intolerance

Lactose intolerance should be identified as the cause of flatulence, abdominal pains and intermittent diarrhoea before performing more extensive investigations. Genetic testing for adult-type hypolactasia (primary hypolactasia, genotype C/C1390) reliably confirms or excludes the predisposition to ordinary lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is rare in children below 5 years of age.A lactose ingestion test frequently yields false results. Lactose as an ingredient of pharmaceutical tablets very rarely causes symptoms.Coeliac disease is the most important cause of secondary hypolactasia and should be borne in mind when suspecting lactose intolerance.