If you hear watery gurgling sounds from your stomach

Hello. Have you ever had this experience? After eating, you repeatedly hear gurgling or 'splashing water' sounds in your abdomen, and whenever you're in a quiet space, you feel like your stomach noises are especially loud... In severe cases, some people might even feel burdened attending meetings or classes, or taking elevators because of these sounds. But listen, these sounds might not just be 'ordinary' sounds.

What Causes These Sounds?

When food enters our body, the intestines automatically move, performing peristalsis. At this time, 'borborygmi' are produced as the water + air + digestive waste inside mix and move. Therefore, everyone hears a certain level of stomach sounds. However, if these sounds are too frequent, too loud, feel unpleasant, and moreover, repeatedly occur in relation to meals, it could be a sign that there's something wrong with the function or environment inside the intestines.

Conditions That Amplify Sounds Within the Intestines

For sounds to amplify within the abdomen, three conditions are necessary: gas, liquid, and intestinal motility. When these three overlap simultaneously, the 'splashing' and 'churning' sounds inside become louder. Especially if there is a pathological condition such as SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), where food fermentation in the small intestine produces a lot of gas, the sounds can be much louder and heard more frequently and intensely within 30 minutes after a meal.

Why Do Sounds Become Louder When Pressed?

During abdominal palpation, there are cases where merely pressing the abdomen slightly amplifies the gurgling sound. This isn't because pressing the abdomen directly created the sound, but rather, the pressure applied to the intestines triggered a reflexive peristaltic movement (peristaltic reflex). In other words, as the intestines move, gas and liquid mix or move together, momentarily amplifying the sound. It also indicates that the intestines were already 'primed' with gas and liquid.

Are These Merely Sounds?

Here's the crucial point: While the sounds themselves are not a disease, if you experience discomfort due to them, then they become a subject for treatment. Indeed, at hospitals, patients are often told, "Bowel sounds are normal," or "Everyone has them." However, from the patient's perspective, this doesn't at all reflect how frequent, how loud, or how limiting these sounds are in their daily life.

How Does Traditional Korean Medicine View This?

In Traditional Korean Medicine, when such borborygmi symptoms are frequent, repetitive, and cause discomfort, they are interpreted as pathological conditions like Biwi Heohan (Spleen and Stomach Deficiency Cold), Giche Beomjung (Stagnation of Qi affecting the Middle Jiao), or Damsup Joche (Accumulation of Phlegm and Dampness). When food is not properly digested upon entering the body, remains stagnant in the intestines for a long time, leading to fermentation, and the Qi is unable to descend and becomes stagnant, symptoms such as sounds, belching, and abdominal distension appear together. At this point, treatment involves not merely medications that stop intestinal movement, but rather approaches that warm the Spleen and Stomach, disperse stagnant Qi, and clear away dampness and phlegm.

Herbal Prescriptions and Acupuncture Treatment

Herbal prescriptions such as Yijung-tang (Lizhong decoction), Hyangsaryukgunja-tang (Xiangsha Liujunzi decoction), Banha-hubak-tang (Banxia Houpu decoction), and Pyeongwisan (Pingwei powder) series are used, with modifications according to the patient's condition. Acupuncture treatment is also effective. Acupuncture points that regulate the function and Qi circulation of digestive organs, such as Jungwan (CV12), Joksamni (ST36), Naegwan (PC6), Taechung (LR3), and Cheonchu (ST25), are used in combination depending on the situation.

Dietary Habits Are Also Key

Foods that are easily fermented in the intestines, such as brown rice, raw vegetables, garlic, onions, and legumes, can produce more gas and cause sounds when intestinal function is weak. Therefore, initially, it's advised to focus on ingredients that are easy to digest and less likely to ferment, such as white rice porridge, cooked vegetables, pumpkin, and radish. After intestinal function recovers, dietary fiber and fermented foods can be gradually reintroduced.

Conclusion

Gurgling sounds from the abdomen, or borborygmi that sound like splashing water, can occur in anyone. However, if they are repetitive, loud, and cause discomfort, they are clearly a signal from your intestines. This is not merely a 'sound' from the intestines, but can be interpreted as an imbalance in organ function, specifically a disorder of Yunhwa function (transforming and transporting function) and Gisun (Qi circulation), as well as issues with the fermentation environment within the small intestine. Traditional Korean Medicine is a discipline that provides a framework for such 'inexplicable discomforts' and has historically offered treatments to restore normal function. Loud sounds don't necessarily mean something is 'abnormal' in itself. If those sounds cause discomfort, then that becomes a reason to seek treatment.

I hope today's content has provided some understanding and direction for those who have been troubled by these symptoms. Thank you.

#StomachGurglingSounds #StomachWaterSounds