How Common is a Milk Allergy?

How common is a milk allergy? The short answer is very common.  Milk allergy is one of the most common of all food allergies. Somewhere between 2 to 3 percent of all infant develop cow's milk food allergies. Fortunately, most children outgrow milk allergies by age three.

Allergic reactions show up immediately after milk consumption-usually within minutes after cow's milk is consumed. Child milk allergy symptoms include hives, rashes, difficulty breathing, congestion, digestion complications and, in rare and serious cases, anaphylactic shock.  Most people outgrow cow's milk allergies as they grow older, but many people who never even had true milk allergies develop lactose intolerance-which differs from a milk allergy-in their older years. Lactose intolerance is when a person experiences flatulence, cramping, bloating or diarrhea from cow's milk due to an inability to digest cow's milk properly. A person with lactose intolerance can take Lactaid or another over-the-counter digestive aid and still enjoy dairy products without serious consequences, while a person with a true milk allergy will not be helped by such medications since the issue is an actual allergy, not a digestion issue. True milk allergies can be dangerous if ignored.

What can you do if you or your child develops a milk allergy? Avoid cow's milk in all forms-including cheese, yogurt, ice cream and other dairy products. With the advent of soy and nondairy products, you should be able to find dairy substitutes for almost every food desired. You should bring your child to the doctor for allergy testing to see if he or she outgrows his milk allergy and to distinguish between an actual milk allergy, which is much more serious, and lactose intolerance or lactose sensitivity, which may result in stomach upset, but nothing more serious than that. The results of the allergy testing will help you determine how important it is for you or your child to avoid dairy products.