“Is lactose intolerance a lifelong condition?”
My nephew is 6 months old, and has been diagnosed with lactose intolerance. Is his allergy likely to settle down with age?
4 Answers
Lactose intolerance is not an allergy. It is a lack of the enzyme,(lactase) that separates the lactose sugar into its two components sugars(galactose and glucose). Lactose intolerance generally is lifelong. It can be present at different ages. I hope this helps.
Not always
Unfortunately we cannot predict the path a food allergy or a sensitivity can take over the patient's life. Some are outgrown or resolve with time (usually years) other's persist. Given the pt's age there is a chance that may resolve with time so monitoring on a yearly basis will be able to determine is changes are occurring.
There are 4 types of lactose intolerance, if you look at the genetic makeup of people. So, while nobody can say for sure if your nephew will “outgrow” lactose intolerance (lactase deficiency) later, it makes it less likely. This is assuming you have the correct diagnosis.
