The detection of cow’s milk IgE antibodies helps to assess if certain proteins found in cow’s milk could be the cause of allergic symptoms. A milk allergy usually occurs in children under 2 years of age; in adults, it is extremely rare.
A milk allergy usually occurs in children under 2 years of age (in Estonia, about 2 in every 100 children). In adults, a milk allergy is extremely rare.
Symptoms in children include skin eczema, vomiting, diarrhoea, nettle rash and swelling of lips. Digestive tract symptoms may appear as sudden vomiting and diarrhoea or as chronic diarrhoea later on. 80% of children with a milk allergy grow out of it after 2 years of age.
In adults, a milk allergy is extremely rare. It is more common to experience lactose intolerance (see Lactose intolerance panel).
The main allergens in milk are proteins α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin and casein (80% of all milk proteins).
People with a milk allergy are usually allergic to more than one cow’s milk protein. In certain cases, children can tolerate boiled milk.
Increased levels of IgE antibodies in the blood indicate that a person is sensitive to milk proteins, but it does not automatically confirm an allergic disease. To confirm a final diagnosis, it is useful to determine IgE antibodies to different cow’s milk proteins, and take an elimination or provocation test at an allergist
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