Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is It?SymptomsDairy-Free ChoicesWhat to Avoid

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Is It?

Symptoms

Dairy-Free Choices

What to Avoid

If you or your child experiences itchy, red bumps (welts) on the skin, stomach problems, or difficulty breathing after consuming milk products, you could have amilk allergy.

This article discusses the symptoms of a milk allergy, foods to avoid, and what may bring it on suddenly.

Jackyenjoyphotography/ Getty Images

A woman holding a bottle of milk at the grocery store

What It Means to Have a Milk Allergy

Milk allergies occur when the immune system recognizes the proteins in milk as harmful and overreacts, producingimmunoglobulin E(IgE) antibodies. These antibodies travel to cells that trigger the release of chemicals that cause an allergic reaction.

Cow’s milk contains at least 20 potentially allergic proteins, with whey and casein being the main ones. Many people with cow’s milk allergy react to several milk proteins at once.

Non-IgE-mediated forms of milk allergy include:

Sudden or Recurring Milk Allergy Symptoms

Milk allergy symptoms generally begin to appear within the first year of life. A sudden milk allergy in adults can happen, but it is rare. Researchers aren’t sure exactly why it may occur.

Symptoms of classic IgE-mediated milk allergy often appear within minutes of eating. They can be unpredictable, ranging from mild to severe. Common symptoms include:

In non-IgE-mediated milk allergy, symptoms are delayed and may take up to 48 hours to develop. They aren’t life-threatening and primarily affect the gastrointestinal tract, causing diarrhea, bloody stools, and weight loss. However, they may also affect the skin and respiratory tract.

What Is Anaphylaxis?Anaphylaxisis a rare, life-threatening reaction that occurs within seconds or minutes after ingesting anallergen. It requires immediate medical attention. Symptoms may include:Itchy skin rashes or hivesSwelling of the lips, tongue, or throat (angioedema)Dizzinessor feeling faintShortness of breathorwheezingAbdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, or vomitingFeeling of impending doomHeart palpitations,chest painSlurred speechUnconsciousness

What Is Anaphylaxis?

Anaphylaxisis a rare, life-threatening reaction that occurs within seconds or minutes after ingesting anallergen. It requires immediate medical attention. Symptoms may include:Itchy skin rashes or hivesSwelling of the lips, tongue, or throat (angioedema)Dizzinessor feeling faintShortness of breathorwheezingAbdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, or vomitingFeeling of impending doomHeart palpitations,chest painSlurred speechUnconsciousness

Anaphylaxisis a rare, life-threatening reaction that occurs within seconds or minutes after ingesting anallergen. It requires immediate medical attention. Symptoms may include:

Can You Suddenly Become Lactose Intolerant?

Lactose intoleranceoccurs in people who have trouble digestinglactose, a sugar in milk and dairy products. It causes symptoms such as gas, bloating, nausea, and abdominal pain after eating lactose-containing foods.

Lactose intolerance can occur suddenly, even if you’ve never had a problem eating or drinking dairy products.

Unlike those with a milk allergy, people with lactose intolerance can often tolerate small amounts of milk and other dairy products.

Dairy-Free Choices With a Milk Allergy

Many non-dairy alternatives are available if you have a milk allergy and need to avoid it. Some popular options include:

Most grocery stores sell nondairy butter, yogurt, ice cream, cheese, and chocolate.

Dairy-free milk alternatives typically have fewer calories, grams of protein, and other nutrients than cow’s milk. However, many brands fortify their milk alternatives withvitamin Dand calcium, helping consumers meet their nutritional needs while sticking to their diets.

Always read the food label to ensure you choose the best product to meet your nutrient needs.

What About Soy Milk?

What to Avoid With a Milk Allergy

If you have a cow’s milk allergy, avoiding milk and other foods containing milk proteins is important. Common sources of milk proteins include:

Milk products may also be hidden in commonly eaten foods, including:

If you have a cow’s milk allergy, you may also react to goat milk and milk from other domestic animals. This is because the proteins in goat’s milk are similar to those found in cow’s milk.

What to Look for on Ingredients LabelsAs a major allergen, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)requires that most labels on packaged foods disclose, in plain language, if they are made with milk. However, if you’re in doubt, always check the food label. If you see the following ingredients, the product contains milk proteins:Butter, butter oil, and butter fatCasein or caseinates (all forms)Lactalbumin and lactalbumin phosphateLactoferrin, lactoglobulin, lactose, and lactuloseMilk protein hydrolysateRecaldentRennet caseinSimplesseTagatoseWhey (all forms)

What to Look for on Ingredients Labels

As a major allergen, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)requires that most labels on packaged foods disclose, in plain language, if they are made with milk. However, if you’re in doubt, always check the food label. If you see the following ingredients, the product contains milk proteins:Butter, butter oil, and butter fatCasein or caseinates (all forms)Lactalbumin and lactalbumin phosphateLactoferrin, lactoglobulin, lactose, and lactuloseMilk protein hydrolysateRecaldentRennet caseinSimplesseTagatoseWhey (all forms)

As a major allergen, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)requires that most labels on packaged foods disclose, in plain language, if they are made with milk. However, if you’re in doubt, always check the food label. If you see the following ingredients, the product contains milk proteins:

Summary

Cow’s milk allergy occurs when the immune system overreacts to milk proteins. It can trigger hives, an upset stomach, bloody stools, or even a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis.

While it’s uncommon to develop an allergy to milk proteins in adulthood, it’s possible to develop lactose intolerance at any age. Lactose intolerance can lead to similar digestive symptoms but does not involve the immune system like a milk allergy.

If you are experiencing symptoms after consuming milk or dairy products, it’s important to see your healthcare provider. They can determine whether an allergy or intolerance is present and suggest appropriate treatment recommendations to help you manage your condition.

13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Milk & dairy.Giannetti A, Toschi Vespasiani G, Ricci G, Miniaci A, di Palmo E, Pession A.Cow’s milk protein allergy as a model of food allergies.Nutrients. 2021;13(5):1525. doi:10.3390/nu13051525Cianferoni A.Non-ige mediated food allergy.Current Pediatric Reviews. 16(2):95-105. doi:10.2174/1573396315666191031103714Walsh J, Meyer R, Shah N, Quekett J, Fox AT.Differentiating milk allergy (IgE and non-IgE mediated) from lactose intolerance: understanding the underlying mechanisms and presentations.Br J Gen Pract. 2016;66(649):e609-e611. doi:10.3399/bjgp16X686521Zhang S, Sicherer S, Berin MC, Agyemang A.Pathophysiology of non-IgE-mediated food allergy.Immunotargets Ther. 2021;10:431-446. doi:10.2147/ITT.S284821Koc AS, Sucu A, Celik U.A different clinical presentation of Heiner syndrome: The case of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage causing massive hemoptysis and hematemesis.Respir Med Case Rep. 2019;26:206-208. doi:10.1016/j.rmcr.2019.01.019Flom JD, Sicherer SH.Epidemiology of cow’s milk allergy.Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1051. doi:10.3390/nu11051051American Academy of Pediatrics.Lactose intolerance in infants & children: Parent FAQs.MedlinePlus.Anaphylaxis.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Lactose intolerance.Office on Women’s Health.Lactose intolerance.MedlinePlus.Lactose intolerance.Food Allergy Research & Education.Milk allergy.

13 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Milk & dairy.Giannetti A, Toschi Vespasiani G, Ricci G, Miniaci A, di Palmo E, Pession A.Cow’s milk protein allergy as a model of food allergies.Nutrients. 2021;13(5):1525. doi:10.3390/nu13051525Cianferoni A.Non-ige mediated food allergy.Current Pediatric Reviews. 16(2):95-105. doi:10.2174/1573396315666191031103714Walsh J, Meyer R, Shah N, Quekett J, Fox AT.Differentiating milk allergy (IgE and non-IgE mediated) from lactose intolerance: understanding the underlying mechanisms and presentations.Br J Gen Pract. 2016;66(649):e609-e611. doi:10.3399/bjgp16X686521Zhang S, Sicherer S, Berin MC, Agyemang A.Pathophysiology of non-IgE-mediated food allergy.Immunotargets Ther. 2021;10:431-446. doi:10.2147/ITT.S284821Koc AS, Sucu A, Celik U.A different clinical presentation of Heiner syndrome: The case of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage causing massive hemoptysis and hematemesis.Respir Med Case Rep. 2019;26:206-208. doi:10.1016/j.rmcr.2019.01.019Flom JD, Sicherer SH.Epidemiology of cow’s milk allergy.Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1051. doi:10.3390/nu11051051American Academy of Pediatrics.Lactose intolerance in infants & children: Parent FAQs.MedlinePlus.Anaphylaxis.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Lactose intolerance.Office on Women’s Health.Lactose intolerance.MedlinePlus.Lactose intolerance.Food Allergy Research & Education.Milk allergy.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Milk & dairy.Giannetti A, Toschi Vespasiani G, Ricci G, Miniaci A, di Palmo E, Pession A.Cow’s milk protein allergy as a model of food allergies.Nutrients. 2021;13(5):1525. doi:10.3390/nu13051525Cianferoni A.Non-ige mediated food allergy.Current Pediatric Reviews. 16(2):95-105. doi:10.2174/1573396315666191031103714Walsh J, Meyer R, Shah N, Quekett J, Fox AT.Differentiating milk allergy (IgE and non-IgE mediated) from lactose intolerance: understanding the underlying mechanisms and presentations.Br J Gen Pract. 2016;66(649):e609-e611. doi:10.3399/bjgp16X686521Zhang S, Sicherer S, Berin MC, Agyemang A.Pathophysiology of non-IgE-mediated food allergy.Immunotargets Ther. 2021;10:431-446. doi:10.2147/ITT.S284821Koc AS, Sucu A, Celik U.A different clinical presentation of Heiner syndrome: The case of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage causing massive hemoptysis and hematemesis.Respir Med Case Rep. 2019;26:206-208. doi:10.1016/j.rmcr.2019.01.019Flom JD, Sicherer SH.Epidemiology of cow’s milk allergy.Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1051. doi:10.3390/nu11051051American Academy of Pediatrics.Lactose intolerance in infants & children: Parent FAQs.MedlinePlus.Anaphylaxis.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Lactose intolerance.Office on Women’s Health.Lactose intolerance.MedlinePlus.Lactose intolerance.Food Allergy Research & Education.Milk allergy.

American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Milk & dairy.

Giannetti A, Toschi Vespasiani G, Ricci G, Miniaci A, di Palmo E, Pession A.Cow’s milk protein allergy as a model of food allergies.Nutrients. 2021;13(5):1525. doi:10.3390/nu13051525

Cianferoni A.Non-ige mediated food allergy.Current Pediatric Reviews. 16(2):95-105. doi:10.2174/1573396315666191031103714

Walsh J, Meyer R, Shah N, Quekett J, Fox AT.Differentiating milk allergy (IgE and non-IgE mediated) from lactose intolerance: understanding the underlying mechanisms and presentations.Br J Gen Pract. 2016;66(649):e609-e611. doi:10.3399/bjgp16X686521

Zhang S, Sicherer S, Berin MC, Agyemang A.Pathophysiology of non-IgE-mediated food allergy.Immunotargets Ther. 2021;10:431-446. doi:10.2147/ITT.S284821

Koc AS, Sucu A, Celik U.A different clinical presentation of Heiner syndrome: The case of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage causing massive hemoptysis and hematemesis.Respir Med Case Rep. 2019;26:206-208. doi:10.1016/j.rmcr.2019.01.019

Flom JD, Sicherer SH.Epidemiology of cow’s milk allergy.Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1051. doi:10.3390/nu11051051

American Academy of Pediatrics.Lactose intolerance in infants & children: Parent FAQs.

MedlinePlus.Anaphylaxis.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Lactose intolerance.

Office on Women’s Health.Lactose intolerance.

MedlinePlus.Lactose intolerance.

Food Allergy Research & Education.Milk allergy.

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