Almost everyone's stomach rumbles periodically, since this process is caused by a feeling of hunger. At the same time, this process is especially often faced by those who are constantly on a diet, for example, girls who want to lose weight and are constantly undernourished to do this. However, there are cases when rumbling in the abdomen can be caused by severe pathological processes, which must be identified and promptly treated.
Rumbling in the stomach after eating - causes
The sounds are made not by the stomach, but by the intestines. Rumbling occurs as a result of digestion. Digestion is a noisy process that involves muscle contractions, gas production, and the movement of food and liquids throughout the intestines.
People usually hear rumbling and gurgling sounds as food leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine. This occurs because the small intestine uses peristalsis, or muscle contractions, to move food.
When food leaves the small intestine, it moves to the large intestine. The gurgling sounds may continue as the intestines absorb water and nutrients and continue to push food forward. The intestines also produce gas bubbles, which can make a sound as they pass through the digestive tract.
Use of medications
The pharmacological market offers a wide selection of medications that help improve digestion, get rid of bloating, increased gas formation and rumbling in the stomach. Activated carbon is one of the most common and available drugs to combat digestive disorders. It is an effective absorbent that absorbs all harmful substances from the stomach. Black or white activated carbon is indispensable for food or alcohol poisoning.
Hilak Forte is most often combined with other medications, enhancing their effect. The product effectively restores and maintains intestinal microflora, protects it from negative factors. Hilak Forte should not be taken if you have fever or diarrhea.
Mezim, Espumisan and Festal - these pharmaceutical drugs have an identical effect. They speed up and improve the digestion of food, and are especially useful when overeating, eating too fatty, spicy or spicy foods. Mezim and Festal activate the breakdown of food in the digestive organs, quickly relieve bloating, increased gas formation and rumbling. For intestinal dysbiosis, probiotics are prescribed - Bifiform, Acipol, Linex, Bifidumbacterin.
Rumbling in the stomach - treatment
Bowel sounds are usually a sign of normal, healthy digestion that cannot be avoided. However, if a person is bothered by their bowel sounds, they can take steps to calm the digestive process.
Avoiding certain foods
Certain foods and drinks may increase gas and associated stomach rumbling in some people. People should identify foods that cause noisy digestion and avoid those foods. Some common culprits include:
- Dairy products
: Dairy products contain the sugar lactose, which can cause bloating, gas and diarrhea in people with lactose intolerance. About 65% of the world's population has difficulty digesting lactose after infancy. - Beans
: Beans contain certain carbohydrates that some people have difficulty digesting. Soaking the beans for several hours before cooking can reduce this problem. Alternatively, a person can simply avoid eating beans at times when stomach rumbling is causing concern. - Cruciferous vegetables
: Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cabbage are examples of cruciferous vegetables. The high fiber and sulfur content of these vegetables can contribute to excess gas. - Carbonated drinks
: A carbonated drink can cause air to enter the intestines, leading to noisy digestion and excess gas. - Fructose
: This sugar is found in some fruits, vegetables and wheat. It is also present in many sweetened drinks and processed foods. This may cause rumbling in the intestines. - Sorbitol
: This is another type of fruit sugar. Food manufacturers often add it to candy. Like fructose, sorbitol can cause rumbling in the intestines.
Diagnostics
In order to determine the causes of pathological sounds, it is first necessary to exclude organic changes and associated diseases. Along with studying the patient’s symptoms, a physical examination (feeling the abdomen, examining the oral cavity), a number of laboratory and instrumental studies are also used:
- general and biochemical blood test;
- bacteriological culture of stool;
- examination of stool for the presence of hidden blood and increased amounts of fat.
Deviations from the norm, identified by laboratory methods, indicate the organic nature of the pathology. The absence of changes for the worse indicates the mental, neurological or allergic nature of the problem.
A set of instrumental diagnostic methods is used:
- Ultrasound examination (ultrasound) of the abdominal organs allows you to evaluate the physical parameters of the liver, gallbladder and ducts, pancreas, as well as identify the presence of sand or stones;
- Computed tomography (CT) allows you to evaluate the anatomy of tissues and organs. CT is used to diagnose diseases of the stomach and pancreas, liver and gallbladder, large and small intestine. Using this method, hepatitis and cirrhosis, stones and cysts, and malignant processes are detected;
Computed tomography allows a detailed assessment of the anatomical structure of the digestive tract
- X-ray of the intestines, irrigoscopy (using a contrast agent) allows you to determine the causes of constipation caused by disorders of the motor and evacuation function of the large intestine;
- colonoscopy - examination of the condition of the inner lining of the colon using an endoscope. This is how polyps, ulcers, precancerous diseases are identified, and material is taken for biopsy;
- sigmoidoscopy is a diagnostic method of visual examination of the inner lining of the rectum and sigmoid colon.
Data from these studies are necessary to exclude organic intestinal lesions and confirm the functional nature of the disorder.
If there are no deviations from the research data, the doctor will refer you to an allergist, immunologist and psychotherapist. Women are additionally advised to consult a gynecologist.
Natural remedies
Herbs can have a calming effect on the muscles of the digestive tract. In this way, they can soothe the intestines. Some examples include:
- ginger
- peppermint
- dill
- cinnamon
- marshmallow root
These herbs are available as supplements that can be taken after meals. You can also make herbal tea from them and drink it after meals.
A person should talk to a doctor before taking any herbal supplements. Some supplements may cause side effects or interact with certain medications.
Prevention
Find out more
Once you have dealt with the symptoms, you should think about prevention. It will be appropriate to adjust your lifestyle to reduce the burden on your digestion. Meals can be divided up to 4-6 per day and develop the habit of eating at the same time, balancing the diet according to the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The last dose should be no later than 3 hours before bedtime. Moderate physical activity and stress management can also have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the pancreas2.
It is difficult to avoid or predict errors in nutrition, but you can have on hand a faithful digestion aid - the drug Creon® 10000. You can read more about the drug here.
Very noisy gut
Very noisy bowels can sometimes be a sign of food intolerance or problems with nutrient absorption. For example, people with lactose intolerance or celiac disease may have excess hydrogen and fluid in their intestines. This may increase peristaltic movements, leading to rumbling.
In rare cases, very loud and high-pitched bowel sounds may indicate an intestinal blockage. These sounds occur because the intestines are aggressively contracting in an attempt to push through solids and liquids. Other potential symptoms of intestinal blockage include:
- severe abdominal cramps and pain
- feeling of fullness in the stomach
- vomiting
- inability to pass gases
- inability to pass stool
If a person experiences the above symptoms, they should contact a doctor or seek emergency medical attention immediately.
Ways to quickly get rid of rumbling
There are several express ways to get rid of rumbling in the stomach quickly and effectively. These methods can be used if an unpleasant gurgle catches you at the most inopportune moment - during important business negotiations, a romantic date or a public speech.
What to do if you experience rumbling in your stomach:
- If gurgling sounds in the stomach are due to hunger, you need to eat
. In order to remove the unpleasant rumbling, it is quite enough to eat a few crackers or an apple. - Drink a glass of still water in small sips
. It is best if the drink is hot or warm, since cold drinks cause spasms of the digestive organs. - When eating, drinking or smoking, try not to swallow air
. Also, do not try to get rid of the rumbling by holding air or taking deep breaths - this will only increase the gurgling sounds.
A light abdominal massage gives a good effect. Massage the area around the navel with light circular movements, massaging in a clockwise direction.
If all of the above methods do not bring any results, you can use the help of pharmaceutical drugs. They quickly eliminate discomfort and abdominal discomfort, improve digestion and overall well-being.
"Silent" gut
The absence of bowel sounds may also indicate a complete bowel obstruction or rupture, both of which are life-threatening. If a person has abdominal pain and the doctor cannot hear any bowel sounds through a stethoscope, emergency medical attention must be provided.
Intestinal obstruction or rupture occurs more often in people who have had multiple abdominal surgeries or inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. This can also happen if a person swallows a non-food item. Intestinal growths known as colon polyps can also grow and cause blockages. Colon polyps can be benign, precancerous, or malignant.
A few final words
Rumbling in the stomach is a natural physiological phenomenon, but in some cases it can signal serious diseases and pathological processes in the body. The cause of unpleasant sounds in the gastrointestinal tract can be gastritis, stomach or duodenal ulcers, dyspepsia or dysbiosis.
In some cases, an unpleasant and loud rumbling can be caused by factors such as overeating, eating too fatty, spicy, smoked or pickled foods, swallowing air while smoking or drinking. To determine the exact cause and select a treatment method, you need to be examined by a gastroenterologist.
Possible diseases
If symptoms are observed regularly, it’s time to see a doctor!
The possibility of a pathological source of discomfort should not be excluded. Seething in the abdominal area is a nonspecific symptom indicating various diseases.
Read: Intestinal colic in newborns - treatment depending on the cause
As already mentioned, the most likely cause is valve pathology, but other options are possible. Other pathologies:
- Gastroparesis is a pathological condition characterized by disruption of the muscular lining of the stomach. Common complications of the disease include indigestion and gas accumulation in the organ.
- Gastritis is an inflammatory disease of the mucous membrane of an organ. A common cause of gastritis is an invasion of bacteria that can destroy the protective lining of the stomach.
- Food poisoning caused by the ingress of bacterial toxins and harmful metabolites into the gastrointestinal tract.
- Increased or decreased acidity of gastric juice. In this case, seething can be associated both with the release of acid on an empty stomach and with insufficient digestive function of the organ.
- Colon bacterial overgrowth syndrome is a common disease in which there is an increase in the number of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. The main symptom of SIBO is increased gas production.
To exclude a particular disease, it is necessary to undergo diagnostic examinations.
