Is it possible that you have lactose intolerance? The only way to know is through experience. If you find yourself suffering any of the symptoms, including flatulence and gas and find that they strike after having consumed dairy, then it’s likely that you may have developed lactose intolerance. There’s not much you can do but wait it out if you’ve already downed a milkshake, but in the future you can make sure to moderate your dairy consumption or try natural remedies for gas.
There are different ways in which lactose intolerance comes about. Most commonly, lactose intolerance is prominent in cultures in which dairy is not widely consumed, such as in Africa and Asia. In this case, it is an environmental component that facilitates the development of lactose intolerance. This is also the case when people contract certain gastrointestinal diseases.
In other instances, the cause can be biological such as in the case of congenital lactase deficiency, in which infants are unable to break down lactose from birth. However, it’s not too common for lactose intolerance to develop in adulthood for many individuals. It has been hypothesized that adults don’t need as much milk as they did in their developing years, which is why the body stops producing lactase.