Lactose intolerance? The breath test tells you so
Lactose intolerance: it is called a breath test, literally ‘breath test’, and is a simple, painless and non-invasive test that can confirm whether you are really lactose intolerant
Lactose intolerance is one of the most common food intolerances
It manifests itself with stomach cramps, bloating, meteorism, and nausea that appear almost immediately when milk and dairy products are ingested. However, these symptoms are also common to other intestinal and stomach disorders, making it sometimes difficult to identify.
For this reason, only the lactose breath test can give certainty.
Lactose intolerance: why it occurs
Lactose intolerance affects almost 1 in 2 Italians and is linked to a deficiency of lactase, the enzyme responsible for digestion, which has the task of breaking down lactose into its two simplest compounds, glucose and galactose.
Low or absent lactase can be caused by a congenital defect: it occurs from early childhood and is permanent.
In other cases, it can be caused by infections or lesions of the gastrointestinal tract and sudden dietary changes.
In most people, however, it is a physiological process: the enzyme is present at birth and its quantity remains high in the first year of life and then gradually decreases over the years starting after weaning.
How long and how the lactose breath test works
The Lactose Breath Test (BTL) lasts about 4 hours and consists of having patients exhale into a bag once before taking lactose and then every 30 minutes for the next 3 hours.
Sophisticated dedicated equipment then analyses the breath composition in order to detect the amount of gas exhaled before and after lactose intake.
In particular, the peak of hydrogen (gas) in the exhaled air is sought, the presence of which is an indicator of intestinal fermentation of unabsorbed lactose by the colonic bacterial flora.
In the presence of a lactase deficiency, in fact, lactose cannot be broken down, and therefore digested, and is fermented by bacteria in the colon, causing the production of gas and other substances.
Since this test is non-invasive and not at all dangerous, children and pregnant women can also undergo it.
Preparation
In order to perform the test correctly, it is important to follow certain instructions for the period preceding the test.
These include
- not having taken antibiotics in the last 4 weeks;
- not having taken milk enzymes and laxatives or practised intestinal cleansing enemas in the last 2 weeks;
- eat a light dinner the evening before the test, consisting only of boiled rice seasoned with olive oil and grilled or boiled meat (or fish) (fruit, vegetables, potatoes, bread and pasta are not allowed)
- fasting on the morning of the examination (only still, non-carbonated water is permitted);
- brush teeth thoroughly with a toothbrush and toothpaste and rinse the oral cavity with a mouthwash (chlorhexidine).
Finally, if the patient is a smoker, he or she must abstain from smoking at least from the evening before the day on which the test is to be carried out.
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