Worry not, because hearing sounds in your gut is completely normal. These occur quite frequently and are often more noticeable when your stomach is empty or during periods of hunger. In fact, hearing them constantly is a good sign.
Dr Joseph Salhab, a board-certified and Florida-based gastroenterologist, shared an Instagram post on October 29, explaining why your gut makes noises and why its frequency can indicate whether your gut is healthy or not.
Does your gut make noises?
The video begins with the gastroenterologist explaining the medical necessity of using a stethoscope, as it helps to listen to a patient's abdomen to monitor bowel sounds, which are a normal occurrence happening almost continuously throughout the day.
Explaining the importance of gurgling sounds in the stomach, Dr Salhab shared, "Everybody should have bowel sounds every few seconds. It's absolutely normal, and it should be going on for almost 24 hours a day. So, no matter what time of the day we're listening, we should hear something."
What do bowel sounds indicate?
He added that these bowel sounds can get louder when you're hungry or you're anticipating food. "When you eat something you don't agree with, sometimes the gut tries to make more space for the food, especially when it thinks you're about to eat," the gastroenterologist stated.
But what happens if you eat something that your stomach doesn't agree with? Dr Salhab explained, "Sometimes you'll feel like your gut's moving a little bit more and making more noises when it's trying to move things along, or you may have diarrhea from something you just ate."
Lastly, Dr Salhab highlighted that if your bowel sounds are sluggish, it can indicate a slow-moving gut, which has various reasons for this. "Or if you're in the hospital and we hear it and it's really high-pitched, sometimes that can indicate a blockage," he added.
What are these sounds called?
Meanwhile, according to the gastroenterologist, the medical term for these bowel sounds is borborygmus. "So, the next time you place your ear on someone's belly and you hear sounds, it's absolutely normal," Dr Salhab added.
