Do you always seem to have a stomach ache after having a glass of milk? Do you always regret eating a certain type of food after you spend the next few hours feeling ill? Do you avoid entire food groups because you're afraid of the stomach distress those foods will cause? You could be living with food intolerance, a condition shared by millions of people.

When your body is unable to digest specific types of food, this is called food intolerance. Milk is the most common food to cause a food intolerance. In about 10% of Americans, milk is poorly digested. Food intolerances can manifest at any point in your life, they can even be present at birth. Food intolerances can be temporary or permanent.

Do you have any symptoms of food intolerance? Not everyone will have the same types of problems, but some signs of the condition can include abdominal discomfort, scratchy throat, nausea, bloating, and diarrhea. This malady is no fun whatsoever and may indicate that years of sickness and suffering may be ahead.

Don not confuse these symptoms with those caused by food allergies. Allergies can cause all of the aforementioned symptoms, plus itching, skin hives, vomiting, swollen lips and throat, and wheezing. These reactions start immediately after the offending food is consumed, and can be serious or even life-threatening. Call for medical help immediately if you suffer these symptoms after eating.

Sometimes it can be difficult to tell the difference between an intolerance and an allergy. If you are in doubt, it's best to see an allergist for allergy testing. These tests can determine which substances you are allergic to, but not which foods you may just not be able to tolerate. However, ruling out an allergy is the first step toward being able to manage your food intolerance.

Once you've figured out that you are sensitive to a certain food, how do you go about managing your intolerance? First of all, remove the offending food from your diet. Be sure to avoid hidden ingredients in processed foods that may trigger your intolerance. After you have completely eliminated the food that makes you ill, you will probably feel much better.

Dairy foods are difficult to completely remove from your diet, so if you are lactose intolerant, some problems may arise. Fortunately, most such people can eat some forms of dairy without much trouble. One strategy that you might use is to avoid all dairy foods for two weeks, and then slowly reintroduce certain dairy products into your diet to see which ones cause your problems. Many people can eat yogurt or cheese but cannot drink liquid milk, for example. So dairy may not have to completely disappear from your diet.