What Is Borborygmi? Understand the Causes and Treatments

 

 

Borborygmi is a sound that emanates from the stomach or intestine, and it indicates hunger. This stomach sound generally resembles water that flows through a pipe. In general, some cases of borborygmi are relatively harmless. The sound that appears is caused by the presence of gas in the abdomen when foods are digested, and it is normal.

 

However, persistent borborygmi or stomach rumble may indicate that the digestive system has something that warrants our attention. So, what are the signals, and what causes them? Discover the answers in the article below.

 

What Is Borborygmi?

 

As previously mentioned, borborygmi is a growling sound typically known as a signal of hunger. In a medical context, borborygmi is the result of food, fluid, or gas movements in the digestive tract. When foods are digested, the intestine walls will contract and relax like waves; this movement is known as peristalsis. It causes borborygmi or stomach growling.

 

Borborygmi occurs due to gas produced by gut microbiota when they process foods. Some types of foods, such as certain carbohydrates (e.g., seeds, cruciferous vegetables, and milk), are harder to digest and tend to produce more gas.

 

Furthermore, borborygmi can also be triggered when an individual inhales excess air, such as when they eat too fast or when they chew on gum. For your information, the amount of gas that enters the stomach or intestine differs from day to day. The harder the foods are digested, the more amount of gas will enter as well, thereby increasing the possibility of borborygmi.

 

Causes of Borborygmi

 

Stomach growling or borborygmi is mainly caused by excess gas in the stomach, small intestine, or colon. Nevertheless, some other factors that may cause borborygmi are:

 

• Digestion: The intestine’s movement to digest foods will involve gas, which may lead to borborygmi. This factor is normal in the digestive system, so there will be no serious impacts.

• Hunger: An empty stomach due to the absence of foods consumed for a few hours will still result in peristalsis to cleanse the remains of foods or to prepare the next process of digesting foods. This process, known as the migrating motor complex (MMC), can produce growling sounds from the stomach. In addition, stomach acid excretion can contribute to producing this sound.

• Intolerance against some types of foods: The stomach can emanate a sound due to intolerance against some types of foods. This is caused by a deficiency of specific enzymes used to digest foods or drinks. For instance, lactose intolerance happens because of a deficiency in lactase, which is necessary to break down milk sugar in the body. This results in improper digestion of the food, which leads to fermentation by the gut microbiota and the production of gas that results in stomach growling.

• Bowel obstruction: A loud intestinal sound accompanied by severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, discomfort, and difficulty flatulating may indicate bowel obstruction.

• Infection: An infected stomach or intestine may cause persistent borborygmi. Some infections that can induce this condition are gastroenteritis (stomach flu), which can be caused by viruses, such as Rotavirus and Norovirus, as well as bacteria, such as Salmonella or E. coli. 

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Borborygmi may be caused by IBS or IBD, two conditions that may be marked by abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, excess gas in the abdomen or intestine, diarrhea, or constipation.

 

Classifications of Borborygmi

 

Abdominal sound or borborygmi is generally divided into three: normal, hypoactive, and hyperactive. The stomach that emanates quiet (hypoactive) or louder (hyperactive) sounds may indicate some conditions. Some examples of causes of hypoactive stomach sounds are:

 

• Reduced digestive system activities that may lead to constipation.

• Intake of medications that slow down digestion.

• Side effects of anesthesia.

• Spinal anesthesia, such as epidural.

• Radiation therapy in the abdominal area.

• Post-surgery or abdominal surgery.

 

In contrast with hypoactive borborygmi, hyperactive borborygmi is louder, more frequent, and faster than usual. This condition is associated with intestinal activities due to eating too fast or having diarrhea. Some possibilities that cause loud stomach sounds are:

 

• Allergy or food intolerance.

• Bowel inflammation.

• Ulcerative colitis.

• Crohn's disease.

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

• Digestive tract bleeding.

 

Treatments for Borborygmi

 

If the sound occurs due to normal causes, such as digestion, borborygmi does not warrant caution. Nevertheless, persistent borborygmi that happens in public places can sometimes be embarrassing. To manage this condition, you may practice the following:

 

• Eating foods to eliminate hunger.

• Drinking water if there is no food to eat.

• Chewing foods perfectly and slowly to reduce swallowed air.

• Limiting sugar, alcohol, and acidic food consumption.

• Avoiding foods and drinks that can trigger gas production in the abdomen, such as:

• Seeds.

• Carbonated drinks.

• Garlic and onion.

• Asparagus.

• Cabbage.

• Cauliflower.

• Fried foods.

• Apples and bananas.

 

However, if borborygmi is caused by certain diseases or conditions, then the treatments will be adjusted based on the underlying causes. For instance, patients with borborygmi due to allergy or food intolerance will be recommended to practice elimination diets and be given proper medications.

 

It must be noted that borborygmi is not always induced by the causes above. In other words, borborygmi may occur due to other causes or medical conditions. Hence, if you have symptoms related to the digestive system, consult an Internist at the nearest Siloam Hospitals for a proper diagnosis and treatment.

 

Doctors will determine the proper examination and treatment procedures based on each patient’s condition. The diagnostic and treatment steps may also vary depending on the available health facilities at each hospital.

Now, you can consult doctors with ease using the MySiloam app. This app allows you to browse doctors’ schedules, book an appointment with the relevant doctor, and check health examination results online. Download MySiloam now to enjoy various features that can facilitate your healthcare journey.