Hi noburp friends! I want to start off by saying it has been SO cool to find this community of people who also can’t burp and who understand the struggle that comes along with it. Learning more about this and the possible treatment(s) has been so interesting and helpful, so thank you!!!
Anyways, I was curious to see if anyone else has this issue that I do when laying down. Every night when I lie down to go to sleep, I usually can’t lay down on my left side because my gurgles get way worse and it’s super annoying. If I turn to lay on my right side, they stop completely. Is it just me? Why would that happen?
Different Types of Bowel Sounds
While some bowel sounds indicate a healthy digestive system, others signify potential gastrointestinal disorders and diseases. When it comes to classifying bowel sounds, there are three distinct types:
- Normal bowel sounds
- Hypoactive bowel sounds
- Hyperactive bowel sounds
If you want to gain a deeper insight into your gut health, it’s essential to understand these different types of sounds and their meanings.
Normal Bowel Sounds
Generally, most bowel sounds are normal, simply signifying that your digestive tract is healthy. Normal bowel sounds may involve a gurgling or clicking noise that occurs throughout the day. It is expected, at times, that your bowel produces a loud gurgling noise for an extended period. This is known as a borborygmus, caused by moving gas or liquid through the bowel.
The regularity of your bowel sounds are an important measure when assessing your gastrointestinal health, as an absence or overabundance of noise may flag certain issues that will require medical attention.
Hypoactive Bowel Sounds
Absent bowel sounds (hypoactive) indicate a reduced digestive system function, characterised by a reduction in the volume and frequency of noises emitted from your gut. A decrease in abdominal sounds can be concerning, as it suggests an underperforming or inactive bowel. Consequently, this can lead to an excessive build-up of waste in your body and cause serious harm.
People commonly experience diminished bowel sounds following abdominal surgery, as the intestines are temporarily traumatised following exposure to open air. Furthermore, anaesthesia used for any surgery can relax your muscles, leading to decreased intestinal activity and missing bowel sounds. We advise that you seek medical assistance if your bowel sounds haven’t returned 48 hours after your surgery.
Alternatively, the absence of bowel sounds can be caused by certain medications that you may be taking. In particular, pain medications containing opiates can relax the bowel tissue and reduce digestive activity.
If you haven’t recently undergone abdominal surgery or taken certain medications, your lack of bowel sounds could be an indication of:
- Bowel obstruction: The blockage of your bowel can stop food from passing through the gastrointestinal tract and therefore result in reduced sounds. Typical reasons for intestinal obstruction are an excessive build-up of scar tissue caused by inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome.
- Constipation: If you visit the bathroom less than 3 times a week, you may have constipation. This can cause excessive waste to build up in your bowel, inhibiting its ability to push food through your intestines.
- Ischemic bowel disease: A serious medical condition that reduces proper blood flow to your intestines, causing significant damage to your digestive tract.
We advise consulting a doctor if you have prolonged periods of diminished bowel sounds, especially if accompanied by abnormal bowel movements or severe abdominal pain.
Hyperactive Bowel Sounds
If you have noticed a significant increase in the frequency and intensity of your abdominal sounds, you may have a hyperactive bowel. Commonly, this indicates that your bowel function is overactive due to increased muscular contractions of the small and large intestine.
During hyperactive bowel periods, you may experience other abnormal symptoms such as increased bowel movements, vomiting, nausea or abdominal pain. There is a range of gastrointestinal conditions or diseases associated with hyperactive bowel sounds.
This includes:
- Bowel obstruction: In some instances, a blockage forces your intestines to increase muscular contractions to push food through the digestive tract. You may hear high pitched bowel sounds, which indicate early bowel obstruction or exceptionally loud abnormal sounds. This is considered a medical emergency and will require immediate attention.
- Infectious enteritis: Linked with diarrhoea, this is a type of bacterial infection brought on by ingesting infected food or drink. This increases the frequency and intensity of muscular contractions in the bowel, resulting in loud abdominal sounds.
- Malabsorption: A condition that impacts your small intestine’s ability to process nutrients and minerals correctly, causing increased gas production and muscular contractions. Common conditions that cause malabsorption include Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, lactose intolerance or other food allergies.
- Gastrointestinal bleeding: The bleeding within the GI tract, causing increased gas in the intestines and, therefore, louder abdominal sounds. There are several causes for gastrointestinal bleeding, including bowel cancer, polyps or haemorrhoids. If you notice blood in your stool, seek medical attention immediately.
It is important to note other symptoms, as hyperactive bowel sounds alone can be a normal part of your digestive process.