When Your Stomach Talks: The Growls + Grumbles Explained

We’ve all had the experience of hearing our stomach make sounds, sometimes seemingly out of nowhere. Our stomachs naturally gurgle, grumble, growl, and make several other sounds. These rumbling sounds and other intestinal noises are known as “borborygmi”.

Even if inconvenient, these sounds are often harmless. In fact, sounds generally indicate our digestive system is functioning correctly, sort of like the sounds pipe systems make as water flows through.

But sometimes, these sounds are indicators of something off balance. Especially if accompanied by pain, discomfort, or other symptoms, they can be literally trying to tell you something. 

What Is Borborygmi? 

Borborygmi refers to the noises our stomach and intestines make throughout the digestive process. 

Although we often associate these sounds with hunger, there’s a bit more to the story. Abdominal sounds occur during peristalsis, when the smooth muscles lining the gut contract in order to push food through the GI tract. (1) These muscle contractions continue even when we’re not actively digesting food. 

While the process of peristalsis and the sounds that accompany it happen both when we’re full and when we’re hungry, we don’t always hear the noises as clearly or as loudly when the stomach is full, as food can muffle the sounds. 

Borborygmi is a part of normal digestion, but excess noise accompanied by other signs or symptoms can also be caused by an underlying condition. Below, we’ll talk about some of the differences and possible causes. 

Are You Hungry, Or Is It Something Else?

So how do you know if your grumblings and rumblings are just signs of normal digestion, or an indication that something is wrong? There are a few questions you can ask yourself to help tune in to what your gut is saying. 

First, observe if you’re having any other symptoms. These may be digestive symptoms like stomach pain or bloating, but also pay attention to things like unexplained fatigue or brain fog, especially if they seem to be connected (for example they started around the same time, or when one symptom worsens, so do your bowel sounds). Have the sounds become significantly louder and more disruptive? This isn’t always a sign of a problem, but it’s one piece of information. Is there anything else you’ve noticed about the pattern of your digestive noises? 

At the functional medicine telehealth center, when I’m working with patients, I’m always looking at any digestive symptoms and clues as part of a bigger picture. I’ll often recommend specialized testing to help identify and target any imbalances in the gut microbiome or other underlying issues that may be affecting your digestion. 

Causes of Stomach Growling and Other Sounds

While stomach growling is not a problem in and of itself, if it suddenly seems excessive and is accompanied by pain or other symptoms, there may be an underlying problem that needs to be addressed. Digestive imbalances, gastrointestinal disorders, and lifestyle factors can all contribute. 

Normal Digestion 

Just to drive the point home, stomach and abdominal sounds are often simply a sign of a healthy digestive process! In fact, if you don’t experience any noises, this can be an indication of digestive dysfunction. 

SIBO or Dysbiosis 

Loud digestive sounds accompanied by discomfort can be signs of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), as a result of excess gas produced by the overgrown bacteria in the small intestine. Overgrowth of certain kinds of yeast or parasites, or other kinds of gut dysbiosis (imbalances in the gut microbiome), can also lead to excess abdominal noises and other digestive symptoms. 

A breath test can help determine if you have SIBO (I would recommend this if other symptoms and/or your health profile pointed to it being likely), and comprehensive stool testing can help us get a more detailed picture of the gut microbiome in general. 

Stress 

Chronic stress can significantly disrupt digestion and lead to more frequent abdominal sounds and digestive symptoms. (2) 

But it’s not just chronic stress; eating while in the sympathetic (“fight or flight”) state instead of the parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) state can also lead to these issues. (3) And eating in this stressed out state is increasingly common as we scarf down meals on the go, in the middle of the workday, or in front of our screens. 

If you notice louder digestive sounds on some days but not others, consider what state you may have been in when eating your meals. It makes a much bigger difference than most people realize. 

Food Sensitivities 

Hidden food intolerances or sensitivities are increasingly contributing to digestive symptoms, and this may include heightened stomach rumblings. (4) There are many possible trigger foods, and identifying yours requires individual experimentation. But some common examples include gluten (with or without Celiac disease), dairy products, nuts, eggs, legumes, non-gluten-containing grains, and nightshade vegetables. (5) 

READ NEXT: Should You Get A Food Sensitivity Test? Here’s What To Know 

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Stomach growls and grumbles can be part of an IBS picture, if accompanied by other gastrointestinal symptoms. (6) 

Typical IBS symptoms to look out for:

IBS-C (Constipation-predominant):

• Infrequent bowel movements 
• Difficulty passing stool
• Hard or lumpy stools
• Abdominal pain or discomfort relieved by bowel movements
• Bloating and/or abdominal distension

IBS-D (Diarrhea-predominant):

• Frequent and loose stools (more than three times a day)
• Urgency to have a bowel movement
• Abdominal cramps or pain that improves after bowel movements
• Abdominal bloating and/or gas
• Feeling of incomplete bowel movement after passing stool

Many people also experience a combination of or fluctuation between symptoms in both categories, known as IBS-M (M for Mixed). 

Acid Reflux 

Acid reflux or the related condition GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) typically manifest with a range of symptoms related to the backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus, potentially including a stomach growl or gurgle. But they will almost always be accompanied by other hallmark systems. Here are some to look out for:

• Heartburn: A burning sensation in the chest that often occurs after eating and can worsen when lying down or bending over.
• Regurgitation: Sour or bitter-tasting acid backing up into the throat or mouth.
• Dysphagia: Difficulty swallowing, often felt as if food is stuck in the throat.
• Chest pain: Discomfort or pain that can mimic heart pain (angina), often behind the breastbone and sometimes radiating to the neck or back.
• Sore throat: A persistent, scratchy throat or hoarseness.
• Chronic cough: A persistent cough, often worse at night, that may be triggered by refluxed acid irritating the throat.
• Excessive saliva: Also known as water brash, this can occur when the body tries to dilute and clear away acid in the esophagus.
• Bad breath: Foul-smelling breath that can be caused by stomach acid irritating the throat and mouth.
• Tooth erosion: Acid reflux can wear down tooth enamel over time.

Other Possible Causes

Essentially, anything that disrupts digestion can lead to excess stomach growling. Here are a few other possible causes worth considering: 

• Excess gas production or buildup, potentially from:
  • Swallowing too much air when you eat or drink 
  • Consumption of carbonated beverages
  • High consumption of high-fiber foods (dietary fiber is very important and this is not necessarily a bad thing, depending on whether you’re consuming more than your body can currently process and experiencing symptoms as a result) 
• Poor diet or excess alcohol consumption 
• Use of certain medications
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease 
• In rare cases, a bowel obstruction (though a more advanced intestinal obstruction will generally cause the opposite symptom—very quiet to no sounds) 
• In rare cases, bowel cancer 

How To Tame Stomach Growling

There are a few simple habits that can help turn the volume down a bit on a growling gut, including if it’s accompanied by symptoms like mild gas. If your symptoms are more severe or these don’t do the trick, more comprehensive gut healing may be in order. 

• Avoid drinking through a straw (you may swallow more air this way)
• Don’t chew gum (you may be swallowing air as you chew—also, most chewing gum is high in sugar or artificial sweeteners, both of which can disrupt your gut health)
• Stick to regular meal times that don’t leave you hungry between meals
• Chew your food thoroughly to help with the digestive process 
• Avoid carbonated beverages in excess
• Stay properly hydrated and sip water throughout the day
• Take deep breaths and practice mindfulness before eating in order to get into the parasympathetic state 

Steps To Healing Your Gut

If you suspect your gut may be using its voice to tell you it needs some healing support, here are some basics you should start with:

• Add gut-health promoting foods to your daily diet
• Incorporate a good probiotic into your routine
• Try an elimination diet to identify hidden food sensitivities
• Structure your day with gut health in mind
• Address chronic stress
• Consult a gut health expert to get tested for imbalances

Tuning In to Your Gut

Stomach sounds are usually no cause for alarm and are in fact a sign that your gut is working as it should. But it’s always important to listen to your body—in this case, literally. If your gut is (loudly) telling you it needs more support, there are many things you can do to heal and improve your overall wellness. 

For more guidance, schedule a consultation with our functional medicine telehealth team. We’d love to help. 

As one of the first functional medicine telehealth clinics in the world, we provide webcam health consultations for people around the globe.

FAQs

Sources

• Patel, K. S., & Thavamani, A. (2023). Physiology, peristalsis. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.
• Leigh, S. J., Uhlig, F., Wilmes, L., Sanchez‐Diaz, P., Gheorghe, C. E., Goodson, M. S., … & Clarke, G. (2023). The impact of acute and chronic stress on gastrointestinal physiology and function: a microbiota–gut–brain axis perspective. The Journal of Physiology, 601(20), 4491-4538.
• Cherpak, C. E. (2019). Mindful eating: a review of how the stress-digestion-mindfulness triad may modulate and improve gastrointestinal and digestive function. Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal, 18(4), 48.
• Gupta, N., Gupta, G. K., Jain, M., Bhardwaj, H., Mohsin, M., Bishoni, N., & Nijhawan, S. (2025). Unraveling the Mystery of Persistent Positional Borborygmi. ACG Case Reports Journal, 12(6), e01727.
• Volta, U., & De Giorgio, R. (2012). New understanding of gluten sensitivity. Nature Reviews. Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 9(5), 295–299.
• Shaikh, Z., Mysore, S. N., Olanio, S. A., Menna, M., Dutta, S., & Brelvi, Z. (2022). S548 Point of Care Bowel Sound Analysis Shows a 3-Way Correlation Between IBS Symptom Severity and Lactulose Breath Testing. Official journal of the American College of Gastroenterology| ACG, 117(10S), e388.