Orchestra In Your Stomach

ABDOMINAL BOWEL SOUND

A stomach rumble, also known as a bowel sound or peristaltic sound, are made by the movement of the intestines as they push food through.

Bowel sounds are most often a normal occurrence, frequent, unusually loud sounds or the lack of abdominal noise may indicate an underlying condition within the digestive system.

The scientific name for a rumbling stomach, borborygmus 

CAUSES OF ABDOMINAL BOWEL SOUND

 v  Incomplete digestion of food can lead to excess gas in the intestine. In humans, this can be due to incomplete digestion of carbohydrate-containing foods, including milk and other dairy products , gluten (protein in wheat, barley, and rye) (celiac disease), fruit, vegetables

 v  Louder rumbles may occur when one is hungry.

§   Around two hours after the stomach has been emptied, it sends signals to the brain, which tells the digestive muscles to restart peristalsis in a wave called the migrating motor complex. Food left behind after the first cycle is swept up, and the vibrations of the empty stomach cause hunger.

v   When air is swallowed while talking, eating, and drinking. This phenomenon is typical

Bowel sound can be classified to hyperactive and hypoactive

·         Hyperactive bowel sound means  there is an increase in intestinal activity. This can sometimes occur with diarrhea and after eating.

·         Hypoactive bowel sound reduction in the loudness, tone, or regularity of the sounds. They are a sign that intestinal activity has slowed. Hypoactive bowel sounds are normal during sleep, and also occur normally for a short time after the use of certain medications and after abdominal surgery. 

causes of hyperactive bowel sounds:

Causes of hypoactive bowel sound:

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

If abdominal sounds occur with other symptoms, several tests will be perform to diagnose the underlying cause.

 Ø  Take medical history

 Ø  Auscultation

 Several other tests will be performed if needed

• computed tomography (CT) scan to take X-ray images of the abdominal area
• endoscopy
• blood testing is used to rule out infection or organ damage

Treatment is depend on the severity of symptoms.

CONCLUSION

More often, noises in our digestive system are normal. However, if we feel that abdominal noises are unusual, or are accompanied by other symptoms, seek medical care right away to reduce the risk of complications.