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Usually, because your gut is doing its job. The rumble comes from the muscular walls of your stomach and intestines squeezing to move food and fluid along, a process called peristalsis. Gas moving with those contents adds to the soundtrack. You may notice it more when you’re hungry, but a growl after eating can be normal digestion too. The Growler, in other words, is usually the friendliest monster in the house.
To tame it: eat at regular times, and eat slowly so you swallow less air. You don’t need to silence normal digestion. When to see a doctor: if the noises come with persistent tummy pain, diarrhoea, bloating or weight loss you can’t explain. The other creatures in your gut, though, are a little harder to live with.
The Bloat is that feeling of fullness or tightness, sometimes with visible swelling, that often builds through the day. According to the NHS, a common cause is gas in your gut, though constipation, food intolerances and IBS can all play a part. Stress and anxiety can make gut sensations feel worse, which is why bloating can feel more troublesome during busy weeks.
To tame it: smaller meals, slower chewing, fewer large fatty meals and gentle movement can help. Go easy on fizzy drinks too. When to see a doctor: if you feel bloated regularly, or keep feeling bloated even after changing what you eat. The Bloat likes to work by day. Its cousin prefers the night shift.
What many of us call acidity is often heartburn: a burning feeling in the chest, sometimes rising towards the throat, caused by acid reflux. It can come with a sour or bitter taste and be worse after eating or lying down. When you lie flat, gravity no longer helps keep stomach contents down. That’s why the NHS advises not eating within three or four hours of going to bed.
To tame it: eat dinner earlier, keep it smaller and stay upright after eating. Sleeping on your left side may help night-time reflux. When to see a doctor: frequent or persistent acid reflux should be checked. And remember that a heart attack can sometimes feel like indigestion: new tight or squeezing chest pain, pain spreading to the arm, neck or jaw, or severe breathlessness need emergency help straight away. Not every gut monster burns, mind you. Some just make noise.
Passing wind is normal. As the NHS puts it, everyone farts, some people more than others, and what’s normal varies from person to person. Wind comes from swallowed air, from eating fast, fizzy drinks or chewing gum, and from your gut bacteria fermenting food they’ve been handed. Plenty of excellent foods, including beans and lentils, give those bacteria a lot to work with.
To tame it: eat smaller meals more often, eat and drink slowly with your mouth closed, and skip the chewing gum. If you’ve recently added lots of fibre, slow down; too much too fast can cause gas and bloating. When to see a doctor: if wind is affecting your life and self-help hasn’t worked, or it comes with persistent tummy pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, weight loss or blood in your poo. Then there’s the monster that does the opposite: it makes going to the toilet a struggle.
Constipation can mean hard or lumpy stools, straining, or going less often than usual. It often creeps in with a change of routine: travel, festivals, less water, less movement, or simply ignoring the urge because it isn’t convenient.
To tame it: drink enough water and increase fibre gradually if your usual diet is low in it. Move more; even a daily walk can help. Keep a regular toilet routine and don’t ignore the urge. For foods, the British Dietetic Association’s guidance includes kiwifruit and prunes as options, alongside psyllium (isabgol). Ask a pharmacist or clinician about a fibre supplement and take it with adequate fluid. When to see a doctor: if constipation keeps coming back, does not improve, or comes with the warning signs below. The next monster, though, isn’t inside you yet. It’s sitting in your fridge.
It can, if it’s been stored badly. Uncooked rice can carry spores of a bacterium called Bacillus cereus, and those spores can survive cooking. If cooked rice sits around at room temperature, bacteria can grow and produce toxins. Reheating may not destroy those toxins, so it cannot rescue badly stored rice.
To tame it: cool leftover rice quickly, ideally within an hour, then refrigerate it and eat it within 24 hours. Dividing it into small portions helps it cool faster. When you reheat it, make sure it’s steaming hot all the way through, and never reheat it more than once. When to see a doctor: get urgent medical advice if you can’t keep fluids down, have signs of dehydration or bloody diarrhoea, or have had diarrhoea for more than seven days or vomiting for more than two. Don’t wait for those time limits if you feel seriously unwell. Which leaves the sweetest monster of the lot.
A perfect Halloween trick: a sweet that promises no sugar and delivers a rumbling stomach instead. Many sugar-free sweets and chocolates are made with sugar alcohols such as sorbitol and maltitol, which may not be fully absorbed. A review of 79 studies found they can cause wind, discomfort and loose motions in a dose-dependent way: the more you eat, the more likely symptoms become. Tolerance varies between people and sweeteners.
To tame it: read the label. In India, packaged foods with 10% or more polyols must carry the warning “Polyols may have laxative effect”. Keep portions modest and notice the combined amount across several sugar-free foods, rather than assuming a fixed number of sweets will suit everyone. When to see a doctor: if symptoms carry on after you’ve stopped eating them, or are severe. Most of these monsters, as you can see, are more nuisance than nightmare. But a few signs are worth taking seriously.
Many everyday gut symptoms come and go. These warning signs deserve attention, whatever you’ve eaten:
Unexplained weight loss, blood in the stool, or persistent abdominal pain need medical assessment. Difficulty swallowing, black or tarry stools, or bloody diarrhoea need urgent medical advice. If symptoms continue, are severe, or keep coming back, speak to a doctor.
Seek emergency care for sudden severe abdominal pain, vomiting blood, heavy or continuous rectal bleeding, or abdominal pain with black or tarry stools or an inability to pass stool or gas.
This is general information. For children, during pregnancy, or for older adults, follow a doctor’s guidance before making changes.
PSST! If you’ve come here from our weekly newsletter, the answer to What’s The Gut Word? #01 is “BORBORYGMUS”. It stands for a rumbling or gurgling sound from the stomach or intestines.
1. NIDDK. Your Digestive System & How it Works.
2. MedlinePlus. Abdominal sounds.
4. NHS. Heartburn and acid reflux.
10. Food Standards Scotland. Food storage: rice.
11. NHS. Diarrhoea and vomiting.
14. NHS. Stomach ache: warning signs and emergency advice.
15. NHS. Bleeding from the bottom (rectal bleeding).
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you have ongoing digestive symptoms, or have been advised to follow a specific diet, follow your doctor’s guidance.
It’s usually normal digestion. Your gut muscles squeeze to move food, gas and fluid along, and that can be audible whether your stomach is empty or full.
Everyone passes wind, and what’s normal varies. Swallowed air and gut bacteria fermenting food are the usual causes. See a doctor if it’s affecting your life or comes with pain, weight loss or blood in your poo.
Most often because of gas in the gut, though constipation, food intolerances and IBS can cause it too. Smaller meals, slower chewing and gentle movement can help.
Yes, if it was cooled quickly, ideally within an hour, then refrigerated and eaten within 24 hours. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through, and only once. Reheating cannot make rice safe if it was left out too long.
Many sugar-free sweets contain sugar alcohols like sorbitol and maltitol, which aren’t fully absorbed. Gut bacteria ferment them, causing gas and sometimes loose motions.
Get emergency help for sudden severe abdominal pain, vomiting blood, heavy rectal bleeding, or abdominal pain with black or tarry stools or an inability to pass stool or gas. Difficulty swallowing, black or tarry stools without pain, or bloody diarrhoea need urgent advice. Unexplained weight loss and persistent or recurring symptoms also need medical assessment.
