These often annoying little noises are just a sign that our intestines are functioning well. Literally meaning “noise of the intestines”, rumbling can have different causes. What to do when your belly makes those unsightly little sounds?

The term borborygme comes from the ancient Greek, borborugmos, meaning “noise of the intestines”. A rumbling is simply a gurgling sound, as it is commonly called, which is usually not disturbing.

This rumbling can come from the stomach or the intestine (small intestine or colon): in fact, these organs are surrounded by muscles that contract regularly in order to advance the food bolus (content of our meals) from the esophagus, the stomach, then the intestine, to the colon and rectum, in the digestive system.

These intestinal contractions are called: peristalsis.

At different times during digestion, this progression can cause sounds to be heard reflecting what is happening in digestion: mixtures of liquids secreted by the stomach or intestine, mixed with gases also produced by digestion. This mixture becomes noisy as muscle fibers contract in the intestine and stir the contents of mixed liquid and gas. But we are not all equal when it comes to this complex organ that is the intestine. Some people have a lot more rumbling than others. You can also never have it, without it being a bad sign. Conversely, having a lot of rumbling is not a sign of poor health. It is a physiological manifestation of the most normal of our body.

Although they are not abnormal, since they are caused by digestion, certain factors can amplify the rumblings and make them bothersome on a daily basis:

• when you have drunk a large amount of liquid, or foods very rich in water (such as certain fruits, melon, watermelon, cucumber, etc.);
• when one has drunk carbonated water or sodas, amplifying the liquid and gas mixture in the digestive system;
• when you have eaten foods that ferment: pulses (chickpeas, lentils, beans, etc.), cabbage, artichokes, broccoli, etc.

We can also feel a rumbling in the stomach, the origin of which is well known: hunger. This, when it is present, can provoke an anticipatory and preparatory activity of the stomach when food arrives, by secreting gastric juices.

In the event of rapid absorption of a meal, there may be gurgling sounds due to the absorption of air, due to the rapidity of ingestion.

Finally, stress can also cause more pronounced gurgling, especially if you have eaten while under stress.

As we have seen, rumbling, even experienced frequently, does not mean that we should be worried about our health. They are a normal manifestation of the body’s physiology and digestion. However, if the noises amplify and are accompanied by symptoms, such as pain, blood in the stool, lack of gas emission, transit disorders, then a doctor should be consulted to investigate the symptoms. causes of repeated and accentuated gurgling.

If they are very (too) frequent, they can be a sign of irritable bowel syndrome (functional bowel disease), quite common today in adults. This syndrome is the cause of hyperactivity of the muscle fibers of the intestines, causing spasms and excess gas production.

Rumbling can also mean:

• an imbalance of the intestinal flora;
• possible food intolerance, to be checked with an allergist;
• intestinal infection, if these are accompanied by diarrhea;
• a bowel movement disorder, such as irritable bowel syndrome;
• a pathology such as Crohn’s disease.

Although rarely signs of pathologies or of a danger to one’s health, rumbling can still bother and sometimes be painful, especially when they are accompanied by other symptoms (gastroesophageal reflux, constipation, diarrhea). In order to limit them, we can follow these first tips:

• by eating more slowly and chewing food for longer, less air will be ingested in the stomach, and thus in the digestive system to avoid rumbling due to the air ingested;
• we can also limit the consumption of fermentable foods (cabbage, pulses, etc.);
• by reducing the consumption of soft drinks and chewing gum, we will also limit ingested gas and thus gurgling;
• you can perform self-massages of the belly, with an oil or a cream, massaging in a lying position and in a clockwise direction the belly and the lower belly. It can soothe bowel and colon spasms;
• it is also possible to apply a hot hot water bottle to the stomach at the end of the meal: the heat helps to calm the intestines and to improve the food bolus;
• finally think of herbal tea at the end of a meal, based on mint, liquorice, green anise, fennel or cumin and coriander seeds to facilitate digestion.

If none of the above solutions soothes the rumblings, it is advisable to consult your general practitioner or a gastroenterologist in order to have a diagnosis on the cause of the gurgling sounds.