Title: Is Sudden Lactose Intolerance Possible? | Livestrong.com
Headings: Sudden Lactose Intolerance: What You Should Know
Sudden Lactose Intolerance: What You Should Know
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Content: ​ Developmental ​. Developmental lactose  intolerance is typically a temporary condition often found in premature  babies whose small intestines are not well developed. ​ Secondary ​. This type can occur at any  age and can be temporary or permanent. Advertisement
People who have low activity in lactase enzyme, which breaks down lactose, can experience sudden lactose intolerance. That is, you could become less tolerant in the event that your body experiences large intestinal changes, explains Dennis Savaiano, PhD, a nutrition professor at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. Those changes, according to Mayo Clinic, produce secondary lactose intolerance, which occurs when the small intestine's production of lactase decreases. Malnutrition, the flu, traveler's diarrhea, surgery on the small intestine, an illness or an injury can bring it on. Advertisement
Diseases associated with this kind of lactose intolerance include Crohn's disease, celiac disease and bacterial overgrowth. In those cases, treating the underlying issue may bring lactase levels back up and alleviate symptoms. "Lactose intolerance is typically more gradual and not sudden," says Matthew Ciorba, MD, a gastroenterologist and professor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. " People may have sudden symptoms when they take in a larger amount of milk sugars and have a lot of symptoms after they previously [have] not taken in much milk product."