Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, the sugar in milk. It causes digestive symptoms, but isn’t dangerous. Lactose intolerance is a lessened ability or a complete inability to digest lactose, a sugar found in dairy products. [1] Humans vary in the amount of lactose they can tolerate before symptoms develop. [1] Symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, flatulence, and nausea. [1] These symptoms typically start thirty minutes to two hours after eating or drinking something containing. Lactose intolerance occurs when your body is unable to digest the sugar lactose, which is found in milk and milk products. What is lactose intolerance? Lactose intolerance is a common cause of abdominal cramping, bloating, and loose stools. This condition occurs when the body does not have enough of the intestinal enzyme lactase. The job of lactase is to break down lactose, the main sugar in milk. Once lactose is broken down into simpler forms of sugar, these simple sugars can be absorbed into the bloodstream. In. A healthcare professional might suspect lactose intolerance based on someone's symptoms and response to reducing the amount of dairy foods in the diet. A diagnosis can be confirmed by doing a hydrogen breath test. This test involves drinking a liquid that contains high levels of lactose. The amount of hydrogen in your breath is then measured at regular intervals. Breathing out too much. Lactose intolerance is a condition characterized by symptoms such as stomach pain, bloating, gas and diarrhea, which are caused by lactose malabsorption (1). If your lactose intolerance is caused by other things, you can avoid the symptoms by following a low-lactose diet. Lower the Amount of Lactose in Your Diet Many with lactose intolerance can still eat some dairy products without symptoms. Some are able to eat low-fat milk products easier than whole-milk products. Lactose intolerance is a condition that makes it hard to digest the sugar in milk and milk products, called lactose. People with lactose intolerance often have diarrhea, gas and bloating after eating or drinking foods containing lactose. The condition is usually harmless, but its symptoms can cause discomfort. Too little of an enzyme made in the small intestine, called lactase, is usually. Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, the sugar in milk and dairy products. Read on to know if you are intolerant or not. Find out about lactose intolerance, including symptoms, how it's diagnosed, treatment and what causes it.