How To Tell Cheese Allergies

For cheese lovers, an allergy to cheese would be one of the worst things to happen. Most of the time, people don’t develop allergies to cheese in particular; instead it will be a milk allergy in general or perhaps even lactose intolerance. If you think you might be allergic to cheese, don’t start worrying until you are tested, but the following information can give you an idea of whether you are truly allergic. The good news is that if you are lactose intolerant, not simply allergic to cheese, you will still be able to eat some cheese; you just have to select them carefully.

Symptoms Of Cheese Allergy

As mentioned earlier, most people are allergic to milk, not just cheese. In the case of an allergic reaction, the symptoms will be similar to those of any other allergy. This means that right after eating cheese, you may experience vomiting, wheezing, or hives. Over time, you may also notice an itchy skin rash (particularly by your mouth), watery eyes, a runny nose, coughing, abdominal cramps, or diarrhea. In extreme cases, a cheese (milk) allergy can lead to anaphylaxis when the airways narrow. The symptoms of lactose intolerance, on the other hand, include nausea, painful gas, diarrhea, cramps, and bloating.

Diagnosis

The symptoms of lactose intolerance and a milk or cheese allergy seem similar at first, but they are actually very different things. Milk and cheese allergies work directly with the immune system, while lactose intolerance is simply the inability to digest lactose, a substance in dairy products, and will not involve the immune system at all.

Most of the time a doctor will diagnose a cheese allergy in several ways. They will ask about the symptoms and what foods you ate before hand. They will also do a physical exam and may ask you to exclude all cheese (or dairy products) and slowly add them back in to test for a reaction. There are also skin tests and blood tests to confirm the diagnosis.

Lactose Intolerance And Cheese

If you are allergic to milk or cheese, then you sadly won’t find many options, although some people with a cheese allergy can still eat cheese made from non-cow’s milk, such as goat cheese. Those with lactose intolerance, however, will still be able to tolerate small quantities of lactose, including processed cheese. That means that in addition to eating goat cheese, lactose intolerant people can also have cheese that is highly processed or very aged. Aged cheese tends to have less lactose as this slowly converts to lactic acid, making them ideal for those with lactose intolerance.