Milk Doesn’t Do Every Body Good
Is your baby having a bad reaction to breast milk? Do you have trouble breathing after a bowl of cereal? This could be a sign of a milk allergy. Milk allergies are incredibly common in children, and many struggle with the condition straight through to adulthood. The good news is Allergy Group NJ can help.
If you or your loved one are impacted by a milk allergy, our allergists are ready to provide comprehensive care with milk allergy testing, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. We’re one of the few practices in the country to offer oral immunotherapy (OIT) for milk allergies, which has the potential to decrease or cease your reactions.
What is a Milk Allergy?
A milk allergy is an atypical immune system response to milk and dairy products. When you have an allergic reaction to milk, proteins in the milk bind to specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies made by your immune system. This triggers your immune defenses, leading to symptoms that can be mild, like hives, or very severe, such as anaphylaxis.
Milk allergy is the most common food allergy in infants and young children, with about 2.5 percent under the age of three affected. Even though most children eventually outgrow it, milk allergies are also among the most common food allergies in adults.
It’s important to note that a milk allergy is different from lactose intolerance, which causes a gastrointestinal response. The symptoms of being lactose intolerant are rarely life-threatening. This is why proper milk allergy testing and treatment is essential if you’re experiencing a reaction to any kind of dairy.
Where is Milk Found?
Cow’s milk proteins are found in a host of foods. Check all food labels for milk, and maintain a wary eye for the following, which may indicate the presence of milk protein such as artificial butter flavor, butter, butter fat, buttermilk solids, caramel color, caramel flavoring, casein, caseinate, cheese, cream, curds, demineralized whey, “de-lactosed” whey, flavoring and natural flavoring, fully cream milk powder, galactose, ghee, high protein flavor/flour, lactalbumin, lactalbumin phosphate, lactic acid, lactic acid starter culture, lactose, rennet casein, rice cheese, solids, sour cream, sour milk solids, whey, whey powder, whey protein, and yogurt.
Additional foods that may contain milk protein include batter-fried foods, biscuits, bread, breakfast cereals, cakes, chocolate, cookies, cream sauces, cream soups, custard, fish in batter, gravies and gravy mixes, ice cream, imitation sour cream, instant mashed potatoes, margarine, muesli, muffins, nonmilk fat, packaged soups, pies, puddings, rusks (biscuits), sausages, sherbet, soy cheese, soup, sweets, and vegetarian cheese.
Milk Allergy Testing and Diagnosis
At Allergy Group NJ, we’ll work with you or your child to determine if a milk allergy is present beginning with a detailed medical history. From there, our food allergists will run a combination of skin tests, blood tests, and cutting-edge component blood testing to gain greater clarity about the risk for severe reactions and the actual tolerance of milk and dairy. This will help us develop a comprehensive, personalized milk allergy treatment plan to help you reclaim your quality of life.
A Personalized Milk Allergy Treatment Plan
Once we’ve properly diagnosed your condition, our adult and pediatric food allergist will work with you to create a personalized food allergy action plan. Depending on the severity of the condition, we may recommend avoiding milk and dairy products, or pursuing oral immunotherapy (OIT) for more persistent and severe cases.
OIT milk allergy treatment is the closest thing to a cure today. By gradually exposing you to small doses of milk and dairy over time, OIT helps desensitize your body, retrain your immune system, and decrease allergic reactions to milk. Allergy Group NJ is renowned for this cutting-edge treatment and the life-changing effects it can have on your family life.
Schedule a Consultation for Milk Allergy Testing and Treatment Today
Dr. Linden Ho and Dr. Sonia Guirguis are board-certified allergists providing devoted care to children and adults with milk allergies. Discover why patients of all ages come to us for milk allergy treatment plans.