Milk Allergy : Symptoms and Causes

People of any age can have a milk allergy, but it's more common in infants. Many kids outgrow it, but some don't. When a baby is allergic to milk, it means that his/her immune system, which normally fights infections, overreacts to proteins in cow's milk. Every time the child has milk, the body thinks these proteins are harmful invaders and works very hard to fight them. This causes an allergic reaction in which chemicals like histamine are released in the body.



Source
Symptoms
Immediately after consuming milk, signs and symptoms of a milk allergy might include:

• Hives
• Wheezing
• Vomiting

Signs and symptoms that may take more time to develop include:

• Loose stools, which may contain blood
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal cramps
• Runny nose

Causes
All true food allergies are caused by an immune system malfunction. Your immune system identifies certain milk proteins as harmful, triggering the production of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies to neutralize the protein (allergen).
There are two main proteins in cow's milk that can cause an allergic reaction:

• Casein, found in the solid part (curd) of milk that curdles
• Whey, found in the liquid part of milk that remains after milk curdles