Stomach Making Loud Gurgling Noises and Diarrhea: Top Causes

Experiencing loud stomach gurgling and diarrhea can be unsettling, often signaling that something isn’t quite right in the digestive system.

These symptoms can arise from various causes, such as infections like gastroenteritis or food poisoning, chronic conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), or even food intolerances. Stress, anxiety, or structural issues like intestinal obstruction might also play a role.

Table of Contents

Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis, often referred to as the stomach flu, is a common condition that causes inflammation of the stomach and intestines. It is frequently triggered by infectious organisms like viruses, bacteria, or parasites.

Symptoms of gastroenteritis include diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes fever. While food poisoning is a type of gastroenteritis caused by consuming contaminated food, other forms of the condition can arise from person-to-person contact or exposure to unclean environments.

Prolonged diarrhea and vomiting can lead to dehydration, making it essential to replenish lost fluids and electrolytes. Treatment often involves staying hydrated, consuming bland foods like the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast), and avoiding irritants like caffeine or spicy foods.

Practicing good hygiene and safe food handling can help prevent gastroenteritis.

Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is a common yet unpleasant experience that occurs as someone consumes food or water contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, or toxins. These contaminants irritate the gastrointestinal tract, leading to inflammation and a range of uncomfortable symptoms.

Common culprits include bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella, often found in undercooked meat, eggs, or unwashed produce. Symptoms, such as stomach gurgling, diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, and muscle aches, typically appear within hours or days after ingestion.

While most cases resolve on their own, hydration and rest are essential for recovery. Proper food handling, like thorough cooking and washing produce, can considerably, substantially, or markedly reduce the risk.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

While stomach noises and diarrhea can be unsettling, they might point to a condition like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a chronic disorder that affects the large intestine.

IBS disrupts the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, often leading to symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and abdominal pain.

Bowel sounds, such as gurgling or rumbling, are common in IBS due to irregular muscle contractions in the intestines. Though IBS can cause discomfort, it does not damage the digestive tract or lead to serious health issues.

Triggers for IBS include bacterial infections, food sensitivities, stress, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) involves chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, disrupting its normal function and often leading to symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fatigue.

Conditions such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which are types of IBD, are diagnosed through a combination of medical history, imaging, and lab tests.

Persistent inflammation in IBD can impair the intestines’ ability to absorb water, resulting in frequent loose or watery stools.

Chronic Inflammation Effects

Chronic inflammation in conditions like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis disrupts the digestive system, often leading to persistent symptoms such as stomach noises and diarrhea.

These inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) cause the lining of the bowel to swell, making it harder for the body to process food and absorb nutrients.

Here’s how chronic inflammation affects the digestive system:

Impaired water absorption: Inflammation reduces the bowel’s ability to reabsorb water, resulting in watery stools.
Increased gas production: The inflamed bowel produces excess gas, causing gurgling or rumbling noises.
Altered motility: Inflammation disrupts normal bowel movements, leading to irregular contractions and diarrhea.
Nutrient malabsorption: Chronic inflammation can damage the lining of the digestive tract, impairing nutrient absorption and worsening symptoms.

Understanding these effects is key to managing IBD and its impact on daily life.

Food Intolerances or Sensitivities

Lactose intolerance can cause stomach noises and diarrhea due to the inability to metabolize lactose, leading to gas and bloating.

Gluten sensitivity often triggers similar symptoms, including gurgling and digestive discomfort upon consuming gluten-containing foods. Celiac disease, an autoimmune condition, can result in more severe gastrointestinal issues and requires strict avoidance of gluten.

Lactose Intolerance Effects

As the body labors to decompose lactose, the sugar in milk and dairy, it can lead to digestive discomfort that’s hard to overlook. For those with lactose intolerance, the digestive process becomes a challenge due to a deficiency in lactase, the enzyme needed to break apart lactose.

When undigested lactose reaches the gut, it begins to ferment, causing symptoms that can disrupt daily life.

Bloating and Gas: Fermentation in the gut produces excess gas, leading to abdominal distension and discomfort.
Diarrhea: The undigested lactose draws water into the intestines, resulting in loose stools.
Stomach Noises: The movement of gas and liquid creates loud gurgling sounds.
Nausea: Some individuals might feel queasy after consuming dairy.

Gluten Sensitivity Symptoms

While gluten sensitivity doesn’t trigger an autoimmune response like celiac disease, it can still wreak havoc on the digestive system.

Consuming food containing gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, often causes symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and excessive gas.

For some, stomach gurgling becomes noticeable after eating gluten-rich meals. Unlike celiac disease, gluten sensitivity doesn’t damage the intestines, but it can lead to significant discomfort and disruption in daily life.

Removing gluten from the diet often alleviates these issues, helping individuals regain digestive comfort. Comprehending these causes and symptoms is key to managing gluten sensitivity effectively.

Celiac Disease Complications

Nutritional Deficiencies: Malabsorption can cause anemia, weakened bones, and fatigue.
Osteoporosis: Poor calcium absorption increases the risk of brittle bones.
Infertility: Nutrient deficiencies might impact reproductive health.
Cancer Risk: Untreated celiac disease raises the likelihood of certain intestinal cancers.

Strict adherence to a gluten-free diet is vital to prevent these complications and allow the small intestine to heal. Timely diagnosis and management are essential to avoiding long-term damage.

Stress and Anxiety

Stress and anxiety can have a significant impact on the digestive system, often leading to stomach noises and diarrhea. The gut and brain are closely connected through a network of nerves, meaning emotional stress can disrupt normal digestive processes.

At times, stress hormones like cortisol enter the digestive tract, they can cause issues such as stomach gurgling, indigestion, nausea, and changes in bowel movements, including diarrhea. This transpires because stress can speed up or slow down digestion, leading to discomfort.

Managing stress and anxiety through techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or therapy can help. A balanced diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep also support a healthier gut-brain connection, reducing the likelihood of these symptoms. Recognizing and addressing stress is key to improving digestive health.

Intestinal Obstruction

Whenever the intestines become blocked, whether partially or completely, it can lead to a condition known as intestinal obstruction. This condition disrupts normal digestion and can cause symptoms like loud gurgling noises, cramping, and diarrhea.

Abnormal bowel sounds: Hyperactive or high-pitched gurgling noises might occur as the intestines try to push through the blockage.
Mechanical causes: Hernias, tumors, or scar tissue can physically block the intestines.
Intestinal blood flow issues: Impaired blood supply to the intestines can worsen symptoms and lead to tissue damage.
Diagnostic tools: Tests like CT scans, x-rays, or blood work help confirm the obstruction and its cause.

Prompt evaluation and treatment are essential to prevent complications.

Paralytic Ileus

Paralytic ileus takes place if nerve function disruption hinders the intestines from contracting and moving food or waste adequately. This cessation of intestinal movement can lead to severe symptoms and complications when left unattended.

Nerve Function Disruption

Intestinal function can sometimes be disrupted at times nerve signals to the gut fail to work properly, leading to a condition known as paralytic ileus. This medical issue arises when the intestines struggle to move contents due to impaired nerve function, causing discomfort and health complications.

Key points to understand include:

Cause: Disrupted nerve signals can stem from abdominal surgery, severe illness, or medications that interfere with nerve activity.
Symptoms: Abdominal distension, lack of bowel sounds, and nausea are common signs.
Diagnosis: Doctors use physical exams and imaging to confirm the condition.
Treatment: Addressing the foundational cause, electrolyte replacement, and supportive care help restore normal function. Recognizing these factors is crucial for managing this condition effectively.

Intestinal Movement Stoppage

Sometimes, the intestines stop moving as they should, leading to a condition called paralytic ileus. This transpires when intestinal blood flow is disrupted, or nerve signals controlling the gut are impaired.

As a result, the normal contractions that push food through the digestive tract slow or cease entirely.

This can cause symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, and changes in bowel habits, such as diarrhea or constipation. Hypoactive bowel sounds, which are quieter or less frequent than typical, often accompany this condition. Diagnosing paralytic ileus might involve imaging tests like CT scans or X-rays to confirm the lack of movement.

Treatment focuses on addressing the root cause, such as restoring blood flow or managing nerve issues. Left untreated, it can lead to serious complications like bowel rupture.

Viral Infections

Viral infections are a leading cause of stomach noises and diarrhea, often catching people off guard with their sudden onset. Viral gastroenteritis, commonly referred to as the “stomach flu,” frequently disrupts digestion, leading to loud gurgling sounds, watery stools, and other discomforts.

Common Culprits: Viruses like norovirus, rotavirus, adenovirus, and astrovirus are often responsible for these symptoms.
Spread Mechanism: These infections typically spread through contaminated food, water, or close contact with infected individuals.
Symptom Impact: The viruses inflame the digestive tract, causing increased intestinal movement and loose stools alongside gurgling noises.
Management Tips: Staying hydrated, practicing good hygiene, and avoiding sick contacts can help manage the condition.

Viral gastroenteritis is highly contagious, so taking precautions is essential to reduce its spread and impact.

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

While viral infections often disrupt digestion, another condition, Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), can also lead to stomach noises and diarrhea. This disease occurs when there is an abnormal increase in bacteria within the small intestine, disrupting normal digestion.

Conditions that cause SIBO include weakened gut motility, anatomical issues, or past gastrointestinal surgeries. The overgrowth interferes with nutrient absorption, resulting in symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain, unintentional weight loss, and gurgling noises.

To diagnose intestinal bacterial overgrowth, doctors often use breath tests to measure gas levels produced by bacteria. Treatment focuses on reducing bacterial overgrowth with antibiotics, dietary adjustments, and addressing fundamental causes.

For those experiencing these symptoms, consulting a healthcare provider can help identify SIBO and guide effective strategies for relief.

Wrap Up

Stomach gurgling and diarrhea can disrupt daily life, but comprehending their causes empowers you to take action. Interestingly, IBS affects around 10-15% of people worldwide, yet many remain undiagnosed.

Whether it’s a temporary issue like gastroenteritis or a chronic condition like IBD, addressing symptoms promptly can improve quality of life. Dietary adjustments, stress management, and medical guidance can make a significant difference. Recollecting, seeking professional advice guarantees the right steps toward relief and recovery.