‘Gurgle, gurgle,’ The silence in the consultation room was broken by a loud voice, and Mrs. Lin, who was lying on the treatment bed for acupuncture on her back, asked with an embarrassed expression: “Doctor, recently my stomach will make such a sound from time to time, whether it is before or after meals, sometimes the noise is too loud and disturbs other co-workers in the office, everyone laughs and asks if I’m hungry again, but despite eating a substantial lunch, I don’t feel hungry at all. Why is this?’
I think that not only Mrs. Lin encounters this problem in real life; bowel gurgling is still a fairly common occurrence in daily life, and many people are still deeply concerned about it.
Understand bowel gurgling
Medical terminology refers to the infrequent gurgling of the stomach as “stomach gurgling.” Bowel sounds are a common physiological occurrence in the human body that are caused by the intermittent sound of gases and liquids in the intestinal cavity moving and crashing into one another during peristaltic contractions, which take place about 3-5 times per minute. Certain conditions affect the frequency of bowel sounds, such as increased intestine peristalsis after a meal, which results in noticeably more frequent bowel sounds, and decreased intestine peristalsis at rest, which causes decreased bowel sounds. Even so, if there is no reason to be concerned, the volume of bowel sounds should not be heard; if the bowel sounds can be clearly heard from time to time, it indicates that the bowel sounds are actually overactive, which is a pathological condition.
Causes of an excessively active bowel
Old Chinese medical texts list the following as the causes of excessive bowel sounds:
- 1. Cold dampness in the middle energizer
Eating raw cold and fatty products in daily life damages the spleen and stomach qi,resulting in spleen and stomach weakness, affecting the operation of Qi, and weakening the absorption and digestion function of water. Excess water in the body combines with cold to form cold and dampness, which impedes normal large intestine function and causes bowel sounds. In addition to causing intestinal gurgling, the abdomen prefers warmth because it is too cold. Warm compresses or drinking warm water will feel comfortable, whereas eating raw and cold food or drinking cold drinks will cause abdominal discomfort.
- 2. Liver-spleen disharmon
Emotional swings are common in stressful situations.Once emotional tension begins, abdominal discomfort and stomach pain are symptoms of liver and spleen disharmony. Because the liver is associated with anger and the spleen with anxiety, excessive thinking and anger affect the liver’s qi dispersion, causing spleen and stomach function to decline, resulting in large intestinal conduction dysfunction and intestinal gurgling. The majority of this type of bowel noise occurs after an emotional agitation and is frequently associated with abdominal pain.
- 3. Damp-heat in the large intestine
Preference for hot and smoky foods, particularly spicy food,can harm the spleen and stomach, resulting in dampness and heat in the body. This damp-heat later invades the large intestine, causing qi dysfunction and intestinal qi obstruction, resulting in bowel gurgling. Symptoms like diarrhea and a bitter, sticky mouth are frequently present along with bowel sounds brought on by damp heat.
- 4. Food stomach stagnation in the stomach
Overeating, eating without moderation, and reduced spleen and stomach function during digestion and absorption all contribute to the development of bowel sounds and food remaining in the gastrointestinal tract for too long to be digested. Constipation, appetite loss, and abdominal distension are common symptoms of the majority of the bowel sounds brought on by dietary stagnation.
Methods to reduce stomach gurgling
In order to get rid of the embarrassment of bowel gurgling, you can alleviate and prevent it through the following methods：
- 1. Use a hot pack on the abdomen
Although the large intestine is the lesion site involved in active intestinal sounds, it is actually closely related to the spleen and stomach. Before going to bed, a hot pack can be used to apply hot compresses to the navel if the spleen and stomach function are weak or after eating raw and cold food.
The Shen Que Acupoint is located in the centre of the navel, and a warm compress applied to it can warm up the Yang Qi, strengthening the spleen and warming the intestines. Warm compresses applied over time can help to reduce the onset of bowel sounds.
- 2. Reduce the amount of bloating-causing food
Foods that cause bloating are those that stay in the gastrointestinal tract for a long time and are difficult to digest, such as fried foods and irritating foods like high-starch foods, dairy products, carbonated drinks, beans, and so on. Such foods remain in the gastrointestinal tract for an extended period of time, and eating too much can result in spleen and stomach flatulence, affecting gastrointestinal function and causing bowel bloating.
- 3. Foods to eat for various intestinal gurgling symptoms
- Chinese yam、ginger
For patients who typically enjoy eating raw and cold foods that cause cold dampness in the middle energizer, Chinese yam, ginger, and other spleen-warming foods are advised.
- Rose、white radish
Patients who experience bowel gurgling as a result of liver and spleen disharmony can benefit from increasing their intake of foods like roses and radishes, which disperse the liver Qi.
- Corn silk、barley
It is advised for patients who enjoy spicy foods that cause intestinal damp heat, frequent gurgling and diarrhoea, and heavy breath to drink water boiled with corn silk and barley on a daily basis to clear the heat of the body and excrete body dampness.
- Hawthorn、malt
Patients who frequently overeat or have an uncontrolled diet, resulting in bloating, intestinal gurgling, and loss of appetite, are advised to consume more hawthorn, malt, and other foods promoting digestion.
- 4. After meals, walk around in moderation.
It is advised against lying down immediately after eating as this can lead to indigestion. Instead, use this time to relax at home or take a stroll through a nearby park. After meals, brisk walking can improve digestion, stimulate the spleen and stomach, prevent food stagnation, and promote overall health.
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