Difference between dairy allergy and lactose intolerance?

I just recently obtained an allergy to dairy although i don't know that much about it. I also know that sometimes stuff is lactose free but it's not dairy free. (it always annoys me when i say i have a dairy allergy and they call it lactose intolerance). but anyways will someone explain to me the difference? And is lactose intolerance more common than a gluten intolerance? i have a gluten intolerance and i always have to explain it (people always think i'm talking about glucose) yet EVERYONE knows what lactose intolerance is.

for the differences: like what in the actual FOOD, i know what they are but i mean like the milk ingredients that they can't have.

A dairy allergy is an immune reaction against milk proteins. Which means that your body will react against all milk products that contain milk proteins, including cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, fresh milk, and lactose-free milk.

Lactose intolerance is inability to digest milk sugar called lactose. When your body can't digest lactose. Then bacteria in your intestines digest this lactose producing gas and discomfort for you.

Fresh milk contains the most lactose. And drinking fresh milk produces the worst symptoms for lactose intolerant people.

Yougurt and Buttermilk contain smaller amounts of lactose because bacterial cultures used to prepare these products digest most of the lactose during preparation. Lactose-free milk contains small amounts of lactose and can still produce mild symptoms. But virtually all lactose is eliminated from cheese during its preparation.

Most lactose intolerant people can eat yogurt, buttermilk, cheese, and lactose-free milk without too much trouble. They only need to avoid drinking fresh milk and any food products that contain fresh milk.

Having an allergic reaction to dairy products can cause a variety of symptoms like rash, shortness of breath, swelling etc.

There are two types of protein in milk that can cause an allergic reaction:

Casein, which is found in the solid part (curd) of milk that curdles
Whey, which is found in the liquid part of milk that remains after milk curdles
You or your child may be allergic to only one milk protein or allergic to both casein and whey. These proteins are not only present in milk 鈥?but also are found in many processed foods. Certain foods contain both casein and whey; other foods contain only one allergy-causing milk protein.

Lactose intolerance is lacking an enzyme to digest lactose properly and result in diarrhea and gas mostly.

In lactose intolerance the big sugar molecule cant be broken down and the massive sugar absorbs water and acts like a laxative.

There are primary and secondary lactose intolerances. Primary
is genetic, due to your genetics, your race. Some races have
lactose intolerances more than others. Secondary can be due
to a disease such as celiac disease. Many people can eat
yogurt and cheese, but not drink milk. Many people can use
dairy with the fat, and merely have some gas, but have extreme problems with loose stools and gas with sklm milk, or
no fat dairy. There are otc dairy aids that help with some of those.
You take several with your dairy. However, if it is other than primary
lactose you really need to have a health care provider do a thorough
examination to see what is the problem. Gluten has to do with
wheat. Most bread has gluten and dairy. I , too, am a little confused
with the dairy vs the lactose. Dairy is usually milk, cheese, yogurt,
butter, anything with milk in it. You can buy lactose free products,
the milk is really great. Since you have gluten, lactose
and dairy problems, it sounds like you need a workup by a medical
doctor or an internist to see what the basic problem is. You can
be pretty sick with celiac disease. Maybe some aggressive attempts
to diagnose and recommend treatment would be worth your while.
You would be sure to feel better if these were under control.
What about eggs, and artifical sweeteenrs like sorbitol? Watch
the sorbitol if you have stomach problems.

There is a BIG difference between a dairy allergie and being lactose intolerant.

If you are dairy allergic then you body thinks dairy is an enemy, or like a virus so it immediately tries to fight it off which causes the allergic reaction.

If you are lactose intolerant then it means that your stomach does not like the lactose so it makes you not feel so well.

You have some good answers as to the difference between dairy allery and lactose intolerance. I just wanted to add that lactose intolerance is much more widely known and you can actually take a pill called lactaid with your meal and that provides the enzyme to digest lactose. No such luck with gluten intolerance. Less than one percent of the US population is gluten intolerant and a lot of people in that 1% don't even know they are gluten intolerant. So unless you can take something like allegra or claritin to keep the allergic reaction down, you probably shouldn't have dairy unless your reaction isn't very severe.