The physicians at Atlantic Digestive Specialists can conduct a simple breath test to help diagnose if you are lactose intolerant.

Thirty to 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant. This means the body is unable to fully digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and dairy products. In order to diagnose lactose intolerance, we need to measure how your body absorbs lactose. During the procedure:

• You drink a lactose-heavy beverage.
• We analyze your breath at regular intervals to measure the amount of hydrogen.
• If your body does not digest the lactose, it will be fermented by bacteria, leading to a production of various gases, including hydrogen.

High levels of hydrogen in your breath indicate that your body cannot properly digest lactose and you may be lactose intolerant.

At Atlantic Digestive Specialists you will benefit from the personal care and technologically advanced procedures performed by our leading, board-certified gastroenterologists. Contact us for more information on the Lactose Intolerance Breath Test.