One's stomach growls or makes noises

Question

When you are starving, what does your stomach do?  Does it "growl"?  Does it "make noises"?

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

HUBLOTWhen you are starving, what does your stomach do? Does it "growl"?

Yes, it growls!

Obviously, it's making noises, but the idiomatic term is "growl".

CJ

Emily Alexander · Answer

It does either! stomach growl is definitely a common phrase, probably as common as `stomach rumble`. You are probably a bit more hungry if your stomach `growls` rather than `rumbles`! But it can `make noises` too, but that doesn`t tell us what kind of noises they are.

Fivejedjon · Answer

In British English, it often grumbles or rumbles.

Anonymous · Answer

Where I live, most people simply state, "I'm starving!" (Of course, most have just eaten an hour ago; oh, the exaggeration...

)

I will usually say, "Oh, my stomach's making noises," or "my stomach's grumbling."

I think the word "starving" is overused (and usually a stretch), and hence I prefer simply stating, "I am hungry," and that's that.

Mister Micawber · Answer

Well, if these subjects MUST come up:

Noises within the stomach and bowels are a normal part of gastrointestinal physiology. Most of the time these noises are inaudible to the human ear but when hungry or after eating, bowel sounds may be audible to the person or even others in the near vicinity. This is not abnormal. However loud and excessive bowel sounds (audible and hyperactive) should be investigated, especially if it is persistent or accompanied by other signs and symptoms.

Stomach noises may be described as growling, gurgling or even rumbling. All these noises are medically known as borborygmi (singular ~ borborygmus). Despite the descriptive terms attributed to the various types of stomach noises, it is difficult to isolate the exact cause behind each type of sound. In most cases, the sounds are so similar that these terms are used interchangeably.

The reasons for the various stomach and bowel noises are due to :

movement of food and chyme through the alimentary tract as the muscle contractions of the gastrointestinal wall pushes it through the gut as well as churning and breaking it down to aid with digestion
stomach gas and intestinal gas, which is produced by chemical digestion and bacterial action
indigestible foods and hard substances within the gut

While stomach noises are a normal occurrence, at times these sounds are loud and excessive. This can be disturbing and embarrassing to a person but may not be due to any serious medical disorder. If accompanied by other symptoms like excessive belching, flatulence, abdominal pain, abdominal bloating orchanges in bowel movement (like diarrhea or constipation) then it can be quite distressing and is possibly a symptom of some underlying gastrointestinal disturbance.

One's stomach growls or makes noises

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