Those rumbling, gurgling, and sometimes embarrassing sounds emanating from your stomach are a common experience. You might wonder if it’s just hunger, indigestion, or a sign of something more serious. Dr. Eva Alsheik, a board-certified gastroenterologist at Henry Ford Health, frequently addresses these concerns with her patients.
According to Dr. Alsheik, “These stomach noises are perfectly normal in most cases, especially if they aren’t accompanied by other digestive symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, excessive bloating, abdominal distention, diarrhea, or constipation.”
This article will delve into the common causes of these stomach sounds, scientifically known as borborygmi, explore practical ways to reduce stomach rumblings and discomfort, and guide you on when it’s necessary to consult a healthcare professional for a medical evaluation.
Unpacking the Reasons Behind Stomach Noises
The noises your stomach produces, medically termed borborygmi, are typical intestinal sounds that naturally occur during the digestive process. It’s all part of how your body breaks down food and keeps things moving.
“The walls of your gut are lined with smooth muscles that rhythmically contract and relax to propel food and gas through approximately 30 feet of your small and large intestines. This muscular process, known as peristalsis, is the primary generator of those stomach sounds,” explains Dr. Alsheik. “Even when you don’t consciously hear these noises, a doctor can detect this ongoing digestive activity using a stethoscope during a routine examination.”
Dr. Alsheik often educates her patients about various factors that can amplify stomach noises and sometimes lead to mild digestive discomfort. These factors include dietary choices, lifestyle habits, and internal bodily processes:
Dietary Culprits
Certain food groups and ingredients are more likely to cause increased stomach noise due to the way they are digested:
- Dairy Products and Lactose Intolerance: A significant portion of the population, around 65%, experiences lactose intolerance. This means their bodies struggle to digest lactose, the primary sugar in dairy products. Undigested lactose can ferment in the gut, leading to gas and increased stomach sounds.
- Legumes and Complex Carbohydrates: Foods like beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts are rich in complex carbohydrates. These carbohydrates can be challenging for some individuals to fully digest. When undigested carbohydrates reach the large intestine, bacteria ferment them, producing gas and contributing to noisy digestion.
- Cruciferous Vegetables and Fiber: Vegetables like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, broccoli, and other leafy greens are packed with fiber and certain sulfur-containing compounds. While incredibly healthy, these can be harder for the digestive system to break down, potentially leading to more gas production and stomach rumbling in some people.
- Artificial Sweeteners and Sugar Alcohols: Diet sodas, sugar-free gums, and candies often contain artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol and fructose. These sugar alcohols can be poorly absorbed in the small intestine. When they reach the large intestine, bacteria ferment them, which can result in gas, bloating, and increased stomach sounds.
The Role of Air Swallowing
Throughout the day, you naturally swallow small amounts of air as you eat and drink. This swallowed air travels through your digestive system. However, certain habits can lead to swallowing excess air, which can contribute to stomach noises:
- Using straws: Sipping beverages through a straw can cause you to ingest more air than drinking directly from a glass.
- Carbonated drinks: Carbonated beverages, like soda and sparkling water, introduce extra gas into your digestive system.
- Smoking: Smoking habits also lead to increased air swallowing.
Bacterial Balance in the Gut
Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria, collectively known as the gut microbiota. These bacteria play a vital role in digestion, helping to break down and absorb nutrients from the food you eat. This fermentation process naturally releases gases like hydrogen and methane.
However, an imbalance in gut bacteria, known as dysbiosis, where there’s an overgrowth of unfavorable bacteria, can exacerbate gut sounds and other gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating.
The Impact of Stress and Anxiety
The gut-brain connection is a well-established link between your digestive system and your mental state. Stress and anxiety can significantly impact your digestion.
“It’s common for people experiencing stress or anxiety to notice digestive discomfort,” Dr. Alsheik notes. “For instance, waking up with stomach discomfort due to stress about the day ahead can create a cycle where the anxiety worsens gastrointestinal symptoms, including increased stomach noises.”
Dr. Alsheik emphasizes a holistic approach: “People are increasingly aware of how diet affects digestion. However, it’s crucial to consider all contributing factors, including stress and lifestyle, when addressing digestive issues.”
Strategies to Quiet Stomach Noises
While stomach noises are usually normal, there are practical steps you can take to minimize excessive rumbling and alleviate mild indigestion:
- Dietary Adjustments: Identify and reduce or eliminate foods that seem to trigger increased stomach noises or discomfort. Keeping a food diary can help pinpoint these trigger foods. Experiment with reducing portion sizes of known culprits like dairy, legumes, or cruciferous vegetables.
- Natural Digestive Aids: Explore natural remedies known to soothe the digestive system. Ginger chews, peppermint-flavored foods or teas, and cinnamon are traditionally used to help calm digestive noises and reduce gas.
- Probiotics for Gut Health: Enhancing the population of beneficial bacteria in your gut with probiotics can improve digestion and reduce gas production. You can incorporate probiotic-rich foods into your diet, such as yogurt with live cultures, buttermilk, kefir, kimchi, and kombucha. Over-the-counter probiotic supplements are also an option.
- Stress Management Techniques: Managing stress is crucial for overall well-being and digestive health. Incorporate stress-reducing practices into your daily routine. Meditation, deep breathing exercises, yoga, and spending time in nature are effective ways to reduce stress levels and, in turn, potentially minimize stress-related digestive symptoms.
When Stomach Noises Warrant a Doctor’s Visit
It’s essential to be attuned to your body and recognize when stomach noises might indicate a need for medical attention.
Dr. Alsheik advises consulting a doctor if you experience bothersome stomach noises accompanied by any of the following symptoms:
- High-pitched stomach noises: Unusually loud or high-pitched noises can sometimes be a sign of increased intestinal activity or potential blockage.
- Abdominal pain: Pain associated with stomach noises is a key indicator that something more than normal digestion might be occurring.
- Abdominal Cramping: Severe or persistent cramping along with stomach noises should be evaluated.
- Bloating: Excessive and persistent bloating, especially when linked to noisy digestion, can signal digestive issues.
- Nausea: Feeling nauseous in conjunction with stomach noises could indicate a digestive disturbance.
- Vomiting: Vomiting is a serious symptom and, when paired with unusual stomach sounds, requires medical attention.
- Diarrhea: Changes in bowel habits, like diarrhea, alongside stomach noises, can be a sign of infection or other digestive problems.
- Constipation: Conversely, constipation accompanied by noisy digestion might also indicate an issue that needs investigation.
“These combined symptoms could be indicative of various gastrointestinal disorders,” cautions Dr. Alsheik. “These can range from an intestinal blockage, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), malabsorption disorders like celiac disease, to motility disorders, where the nerves or muscles of the gut aren’t functioning correctly to coordinate digestion.”
If you are concerned about persistent or bothersome stomach noises, especially when accompanied by other gastrointestinal symptoms, seeking professional medical advice is always the best course of action to ensure your digestive health and overall well-being.
To learn more about care for gastrointestinal disorders or to schedule an appointment with a gastroenterologist at Henry Ford Health, please visit henryford.com or call 1-800-436-7936.
Dr. Eva Alsheik is a board-certified gastroenterologist and serves as the Director of the Center for Motility Disorders at Henry Ford Health. She practices at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and Henry Ford Medical Center – Columbus.
