Just another iHealthSpot WP02 site

Due to a recent recall on Magnesium Citrate, please do not use any colonoscopy preparations that include this product in the instructions. If your instructions suggest using magnesium citrate, please contact our office for further instructions.

North Shore Gastroenterology
  •  
    (440) 808-1212

  • Patient Portal 

  • Online Bill Pay 

  • Request an Appointment 

MENUMENU
  • About Us
  • Meet Our Team
    • Physicians
      • Mousab Tabbaa, MD
      • Iqbal Ahmed, MD, FACG
      • Rinjal Brahmbhatt, MD
      • James Harris, MD, FACG
      • Kimberly Harris, MD
      • Preeti Jhawar, DO
      • Mohamed S. Naem, MD
      • Michael Springer, MD
      • Robert Straub, MD
      • J. Owen Tully, MD
    • Advanced Practitioners
  • Conditions We Treat
  • Procedures
    • Colonoscopy
    • Colon Cancer Screening
    • Upper Endoscopy (EGD)
    • Breath Test
    • Barrx™ (Treatment of Barrett’s Esophagus)
    • Bravo™ (Treatment for Reflux)
    • Flexible Sigmoidoscopy
    • Anorectal Manometry
    • Medtronic Bowel Control Therapy
    • Dilation of Esophageal Strictures
    • Small-Bowel Capsule Endoscopy (PillCam™)
    • In-Office Procedures
    • Infusion Services
    • Advanced Endoscopic Procedures in Hospital
  • Patient Resources
    • Patient Forms
    • Pre-Op Instructions
    • Post-Op Instructions
    • FAQs
    • Online Bill Pay
    • Useful Links
  • Blog
  • Contact & Locations
    • Westlake, Ohio
    • Brooklyn, Ohio

How to Prepare for a Lactose Intolerance Test

February 26, 2021

in Lactose intolerance
February 26, 2021
Tagged With: bloating, Constipation, digestive disorders, digestive health, gastroenterologist near me, gastroenterologists near me, indegestion treatment near me, indigestion treatment in Ohio, Lactose Intolerance Testing, lactose intolerance treatment in Ohio, Lactose intolerance treatment near me

Are you a milk lover, but you just can’t stand the nasty discomforts—diarrhea, stomach pain, and bloating—that you experience after each time you drink even half a glass of it?

The culprit behind your “gassy ordeal” could be a condition called lactose intolerance. This is a common digestive problem in which your stomach is unable to digest lactose, the sugar found in dairy products.

There are tests available to help your gastroenterologist accurately diagnose your condition. Let’s check them out.

Food Log Evaluation

If you haven’t scheduled an appointment with your gastroenterologist yet, you may want to start keeping a food log, where you can jot down every food and beverage you consumed every day. Additionally, make sure to list down any digestive discomforts you experienced each day.

You should bring this journal with you when you see your gastroenterologist. During your appointment, your doctor will evaluate the entries and determine if your symptoms could be related to lactose intolerance. Your doctor won’t use this as the only determining factor, but it can be useful for identifying what type of testing you should have.

Hydrogen Breath Test

Lactose is normally broken down by lactase, an enzyme found in the small intestine. If you have lactose intolerance, you aren’t able to produce this enzyme in your body. As a result, lactose will move into your large intestine, in which bacteria will break it down instead. Hydrogen is the byproduct of this process, thus the name of the test.

While a hydrogen breath test is a fairly simple procedure, there are specific guidelines that you need to closely follow within four weeks prior to your test. You have to make sure your gastroenterologist discusses what you exactly need to do, to ensure accurate results. Your doctor will advise you to fast for 12 hours prior to your test and not to eat high-fiber foods 24 hours prior.

To do a hydrogen breath test, your gastroenterologist will instruct you to gently blow into a bag to obtain an initial breath sample. You will then be told to consume a small amount of drink (usually milk or regular soda) containing different types of sugar. Over a 3-hour period, you will be told to breathe into a bag every 20 minutes. Your doctor will use a breath analysis device to measure the amount of hydrogen in your breath.

Normally, your breath contains a minute amount of hydrogen. If your hydrogen level is high, it could mean that you’re lactose intolerant.

Blood Testing

As with a hydrogen breath test, blood testing for lactose intolerance also involves consuming a beverage that contains a high amount of lactose.

Your gastroenterologist will ask you to wait two hours after you consume the drink; this gives your body time to process it. Your doctor will then collect a sample of your blood, then analyze the blood glucose level.

If your doctor notices no change in your sugar level, it is an indication that your body isn’t able to break down the sugar in the drink, which most likely means you are lactose intolerant. 

Lactose Intolerance Testing in Westlake and Brooklyn, OH

If you’re experiencing symptoms of lactose intolerance, visit us at North Shore Gastroenterology & Endoscopy Centers for a hydrogen breath test and comprehensive evaluation.

Our board-certified gastroenterologists are experts in performing hydrogen tests, ensuring that you will get accurate results. Once we confirm that you have lactose intolerance, we will give you diet recommendations to help you avoid the annoying symptoms of the condition and make sure you’re still eating right.

To arrange a consultation with any of our gastroenterologists, call us at (440) 808-1212 or use this appointment request form.

Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • Celiac Disease
  • cirrhosis
  • Colon Cancer
  • Colonoscopy
  • Constipation
  • Crohn's Disease
  • digestive health
  • Gastroenterology
  • General
  • GI
  • GI Doctor
  • Heartburn
  • IBS
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Lactose intolerance
February 2021
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
« Jan   Mar »

Tags

bloating Celiac Disease Diagnosis Colon Cancer Colon Cancer Diagnsosis Cleveland OH Colon Cancer Prevention colon cancer screening Colon Cancer Screening Brooklyn OH Colon Cancer Screening Cleveland OH Colon Cancer Screening near me colon cancer screening Westlake OH Colon Cancer Symptoms colon cancer treatment colonoscopy near me Colonoscopy Ohio Constipation Crohn's Disease digestive disorders digestive health gastroenterologist gastroenterologist Brooklyn OH gastroenterologist near me Gastroenterologists in Brooklyn Gastroenterologists in Westlake gastroenterologists near me Gastroenterologist Westlake OH gastroesophageal reflux disease GI gi doctor near me gi specialist near me gluten free IBS IBS treatment near me Indigestion Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lactose intolerance Lactose Intolerance Diagnosis Lactose Intolerance Symptoms Lactose Intolerance Testing lactose intolerance testing Brooklyn OH lactose intolerance testing near me lactose intolerance testing Westlake OH Lactose Intolerance treatment Lactose intolerance treatment near me North Shore Gastroenterology stomach ache

Footer

  • Blog

    Discover the latest information on medical breakthroughs in the field of gastroenterology, as well as updates related to our practice at North Shore Gastroenterology’s exclusive online blog.

      LEARN MORE
  • Patient Education

    Everything you need to know about many of the gastrointestinal conditions we treat at North Shore Gastroenterology is at the tip of your fingers with our convenient patient education library.

      LEARN MORE
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Conditions We Treat
  • Contact & Locations
  • Meet Our Team
  • Patient Resources
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap

© Copyright ·North Shore Gastroenterology· All Rights Reserved

  • Westlake Office & Endoscopy Center
    850 Columbia Road, Suite 200
    Westlake, OH 44145
    Phone: (440) 808-1212
  • Ridge Park Office & Endoscopy Center
    7580 Northcliff Avenue, Suite 1000
    Brooklyn, OH 44144
    Phone: (440) 808-1212

 

At North Shore Gastroenterology & Endoscopy Centers, our compassionate doctors provide a variety of services including Colonoscopy, Colon Cancer Screening, Upper Endoscopy (EGD), Breath Test, Flexible Sigmoidoscopy, Anorectal Manometry, Medtronic Bowel Control Therapy, Dilation of Esophageal Strictures, Infusion Services, and Advanced Endoscopic Procedures in Hospital.

  • Home
  • Request an Appointment
  • About Us
  • Meet Our Team
    • Physicians
      • Mousab Tabbaa, MD
      • Iqbal Ahmed, MD, FACG
      • Rinjal Brahmbhatt, MD
      • James Harris, MD, FACG
      • Kimberly Harris, MD
      • Preeti Jhawar, DO
      • Mohamed S. Naem, MD
      • Michael Springer, MD
      • Robert Straub, MD
      • J. Owen Tully, MD
      • Back
    • Advanced Practitioners
    • Back
  • Patient Resources
    • Patient Forms
    • Pre-Op Instructions
    • Post-Op Instructions
    • FAQs
    • Online Bill Pay
    • Useful Links
    • Back
  • Conditions We Treat
  • Procedures
    • Colonoscopy
    • Colon Cancer Screening
    • Upper Endoscopy (EGD)
    • Breath Test
    • Barrx™ (Treatment of Barrett’s Esophagus)
    • Bravo™ (Treatment for Reflux)
    • Flexible Sigmoidoscopy
    • Anorectal Manometry
    • Medtronic Bowel Control Therapy
    • Dilation of Esophageal Strictures
    • Small-Bowel Capsule Endoscopy (PillCam™)
    • In-Office Procedures
    • Infusion Services
    • Advanced Endoscopic Procedures in Hospital
    • Back
  • Blog
  • Contact & Locations
    • Westlake, Ohio
    • Brooklyn, Ohio
    • Back