Rumbling in the stomach

Periodic rumbling in the abdomen is a physiological condition that is caused by a feeling of hunger. At the same time, such a process is especially often encountered with a variety of “experiments” with diets, for example, constant malnutrition for the desire to lose weight quickly. However, there are cases when rumbling in the abdomen can be caused by serious pathological processes that must be identified and treated in a timely manner.

Causes of rumbling in the stomach

Rumbling can occur regardless of the time of day, as well as the age of the person. If you ignore breakfast in the morning, your stomach will growl for several hungry hours until it finally gets the required food. Morning sweet coffee is not a complete replacement for breakfast, so those who prefer this drink to healthy meals should be prepared for the fact that the stomach will soon begin to growl. Sometimes rumbling can occur, even with a feeling of satiety, when a person sees or smells delicious dishes for him. This is explained by the signal sent from the brain to the gastrointestinal tract about the start of the production of gastric juice, since the visual or olfactory desire to taste food provokes this process. Such rumbling in the stomach no longer comes from the stomach, but from the intestines.

The next reason for rumbling in the stomach can be overeating, especially after 4 or more hours of fasting. The likelihood of this symptom also increases when eating a fatty and heavy assortment of dishes, since such food causes the formation of a lump of food in the gastrointestinal tract, which, moving along its path, increases peristalsis. This is necessary in order to better grind and process food, but in parallel, the process also provokes rumbling.

Also, the stomach may begin to rumble due to stress, excitement, the use of certain foods or drinks, which can be individual for each organism. Very often, this symptom is caused by carbonated drinks and alcohol. Also, rumbling can be provoked by a certain position of the body – the lying position is most often accompanied by rumbling, in contrast to the standing or sitting position.

Regarding the female body, it is worth considering that this symptom can act as a constant companion of menstruation. This is not a pathology, because on the eve of menstruation, due to physiological changes in the body, the hormonal background changes completely. It delays the rapid course of metabolic processes, which leads to an increase in blood pressure in the pelvic organs, which provokes the occurrence of rumbling. A similar symptom passes either immediately after the onset of menstruation, or only after it has completely ended, which is determined by the individual characteristics of the body.

Diseases that provoke rumbling

Among the most common pathologies that can cause rumbling in the abdomen, it is necessary first of all to single out intestinal dysbacteriosis. At the same time, in addition to rumbling, there is bloating, discomfort, soreness, diarrhea or constipation in the abdomen. This disease is provoked by bacteria that are constantly in the intestinal cavity, but only under certain conditions can cause pathology. For example, after taking a course of antibiotics, dysbacteriosis can rarely be avoided. Under their influence, many beneficial bacteria die in the body, which leads to the development of the disease.

Intestinal gas, which provokes rumbling, is formed in the organs of the gastrointestinal tract due to the partial indigestion of certain substances. This process provokes intestinal flatulence, which is also a symptom of dysbacteriosis, but sometimes it acts as a symptom of such complex pathological processes as tumors, dyspepsia, intestinal hypermotility.

Explicit rumbling in the stomach after eating indicates a malfunction in the intestines or stomach. With regular bloating after eating, it is important to consult a doctor in a timely manner in order to exclude the development of gastritis, and then stomach ulcers. Also, rumbling sometimes signals the occurrence of irritable bowel syndrome, which, in addition to rumbling, is most often expressed in pain, discomfort, defecation disorders and other individual symptoms.

Concomitant symptoms can often be decisive in determining the pathology with rumbling in the abdomen. In this context, one should consider such satellites of rumbling as:

• diarrhea;
• gas formation;
• discomfort in the abdomen at night;
• right-sided and left-sided dislocation of the symptom;
• pregnancy;
• breast age.

Most often, rumbling in the abdomen, along with diarrhea, causes the same dysbacteriosis. Provided that the patient did not take antibiotics in the recent past, such a disease is often recorded in those people who do not eat properly. The risk of developing dysbacteriosis increases among fans of fast food, semi-finished products, food on the run, when all organs of the gastrointestinal tract suffer.

Sometimes the parallel occurrence of rumbling and diarrhea may also indicate an infectious process in the intestinal area, the source of which may be expired or improperly processed food. Therapy in this case involves the use of adsorbents, however, with ongoing symptoms for several days, it is urgent to go to the doctor.

The combination of diarrhea and rumbling may also indicate the occurrence of secretory and osmotic diarrhea. Secretory diarrhea is provoked by water accumulated in the intestinal lumen, filled with bacterial toxins, which becomes the prerequisite for watery stools, accompanied by a characteristic gurgling. Osmotic diarrhea occurs due to the consumption of a large number of foods or substances that cannot be absorbed by the intestines. This disease can occur, for example, with lactose intolerance or in cases of food allergies.

Increased gas formation in combination with rumbling indicates the onset of flatulence. Flatulence often occurs due to malnutrition, in which acidic, fatty, chemically supplemented foods predominate in the diet, which cause increased gas formation. Also, gases are formed in large quantities when eating indigestible carbohydrates. Sometimes such a process becomes possible due to poor chewing of food and swallowing too large pieces of food, as well as due to banal conversations with a full mouth. Frequent constipation increases fermentation, making it difficult for food to move through the intestines and causing flatulence.

Nocturnal rumblings of the abdomen can be caused by various reasons. For example, if you eat long before going to bed, the stomach may have time to get hungry at night. To prevent this situation in such cases, it is better to drink a glass of kefir before going to bed, eat 1 fruit or vegetable, 30 grams of any dried fruit, or a little vegetable salad. However, in addition to this, night rumbling can be a symptom of some kind of disease. Such symptoms are usually accompanied by pancreatitis, gastritis, dysbacteriosis, colitis and many other diseases. Self-medication in this case is unacceptable, especially if, in addition to rumbling, pain, vomiting, nausea are added to unpleasant symptoms, it is absolutely impossible to delay going to a therapist or gastroenterologist. It is better for the doctor to tell the patient that he eats too late, which leads to the inability of the stomach to digest the food that has arrived.

With localization of rumbling in the right side and accompanied by belching, one can assume the occurrence of pancreatitis or cholecystitis. Sometimes right-sided rumbling is evidence that the patient is eating low-quality food that cannot be digested and absorbed normally in the body. In this case, poisoning often occurs, which also manifests itself in abdominal pain, disorders, and so on. Doctors usually perform gastric lavage on patients before starting therapy.

Increased intestinal peristalsis is often accompanied by rumbling on the left. This is evidence of infectious gastroenteritis, where food is poorly digested, moving rapidly through the digestive tract, disrupting healthy chemical processing. In parallel with rumbling, patients also experience diarrhea. All the same symptoms can also be observed with chemical irritation, when alcohol and stale food enter the body. Toxins from these foods can cause rumbling. Another cause of left-sided rumbling is often an allergic reaction to some kind of food.

Very often, rumbling in the abdomen is observed in pregnant women, which is explained by the constant change in the hormonal background of their body – the growth of progesterone, which relaxes the smooth intestinal muscles. After the fourth month, the location of the intestine in the body may be disturbed due to the fact that the child begins to actively grow and look for a place in the abdominal cavity. The uterus squeezes the intestines, which can cause various problems with this organ – gas formation, constipation, rumbling. You can slightly correct this condition with an individual approach to nutrition – for example, by writing down your own feelings from the gastrointestinal tract after eating certain foods. However, in any case, consultation with a doctor who observes pregnancy is mandatory, since these symptoms can be a manifestation of serious illness.

In a baby, the tummy may also rumble. Most often, in this case, the symptom occurs due to the inability of the newborn’s body to digest various foods, lack of enzymes. Nutrition in this case must be changed, and even if the child is exclusively breastfed, the likelihood of lactose intolerance by his body cannot be ruled out, so a visit to the pediatrician will help resolve the issue with the cause and subsequent steps in identifying rumbling.

Actions for rumbling in the stomach

Treatment of rumbling in the abdomen will directly depend on the cause that caused it. If the problem is associated with malnutrition, you should review your diet in a timely manner and refuse heavy food, choosing one that does not provoke discomfort in the abdomen.

If a gastroenterologist detects a disease whose symptom is rumbling, it is necessary to undergo a course of treatment. When intestinal dysbacteriosis is detected, means are prescribed to correct the intestinal flora, fermented milk products, the best of which are home-made yoghurts. Among the medicines that help to cope with rumbling, doctors distinguish Espumizan, Motilium, Lineks. At the same time, Espumizan is a carminative drug to overcome flatulence, which can be drunk 2 capsules up to 5 times a day, along with plenty of liquid. The duration of the course depends on the severity of the symptoms and is determined individually by the doctor. The drug Motilium is drunk before meals so that it is well absorbed. The dosage of the remedy depends both on the age of the patient and on the causes of rumbling. Motilium is able to help digest food and move it through the gastrointestinal tract, it is prescribed for chronic dyspepsia.

Linex is a drug for restoring normal intestinal microflora. It is used for dysbacteriosis, diarrhea and other diseases. It can be used from birth in various dosages determined by the attending physician and the severity of the specific situation.

The rumbling medications described above eliminate not only this symptom, but also bloating, treat intestinal dysbacteriosis and many other diseases with a complex selection of drugs. Any treatment in this case should be prescribed by a doctor, since only he can accurately determine the causes of rumbling in the abdomen.

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