Stomach Gurgling and Gas: 17 Critical Causes & Fixes

Stomach gurgling and gas are usually caused by normal movement of food, liquid, air, and gas through your digestive tract. The sounds may become louder when you are hungry, after eating, after drinking fizzy drinks, when you swallow extra air, or when gut bacteria ferment certain carbohydrates.

The sound itself is usually not the problem.

What matters is what comes with it.

Gurgling plus severe pain, repeated vomiting, blood in stool, a swollen abdomen, fever, unexplained weight loss, ongoing diarrhea, or inability to pass stool or gas needs more attention.

This article is for general information and education. It does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

For more digestive health guides, visit the NextFitLife Digestive Health and Gut Hub.

What causes the gurgling sound in your stomach?

The medical word for loud gut noises is borborygmi.

Despite the name “stomach noises,” many of the sounds actually come from the intestines.

Your digestive tract is a long muscular tube. Its muscles contract and relax to move food, digestive fluid, air, and gas forward.

When gas and liquid move through that tube, you can hear bubbling, rumbling, squeaking, or growling.

These bowel sounds are usually a sign that the gut is moving.

NIDDK notes that having some gas is normal. Research it cites suggests people commonly pass gas around 8 to 14 times per day, and even up to about 25 times a day can fall within the normal range.

The amount of sound is not a good measure of how healthy or unhealthy your gut is.

When should stomach gurgling and gas worry you?

Noise alone usually does not need urgent care.

The symptoms around the noise matter much more.

Inability to pass stool or gas with severe pain, vomiting, and abdominal swelling can occur with bowel obstruction and needs urgent assessment.

Arrange a regular medical appointment if gas or bloating keeps returning, suddenly changes, affects daily life, or occurs with unexplained weight loss, persistent diarrhea, constipation, or abdominal pain.

Quick relief for mild stomach gurgling and gas

If you feel generally well and the symptoms are mild, start with simple measures.

1. Stop adding extra air

For the rest of the day, avoid fizzy drinks, chewing gum, hard candy, and drinking through a straw.

These habits can increase swallowed air.

2. Eat more slowly

Take smaller bites and pause between them.

Talking constantly while chewing or eating on the run can make you swallow more air.

3. Take a gentle walk

Light movement can help normal bowel activity and may help trapped gas move along.

4. Avoid a very large next meal

NIDDK suggests that smaller meals may help some people with troublesome gas symptoms.

5. Use the bathroom when you need to

Constipation can make gas and pressure worse.

6. Test fizzy drinks first

If you drink soda, sparkling water, beer, or carbonated energy drinks every day, try still drinks for several days and compare your symptoms.

7. Look at your last few meals

A sudden increase in beans, lentils, vegetables, fiber supplements, protein bars, dairy, or sugar free sweets may explain a temporary increase in gas.

8. Do not start a restrictive diet after one noisy day

Many gas producing foods are nutritious.

The goal is to find a pattern, not remove half your diet because your stomach made noise once.

17 common causes of stomach gurgling and gas

1. Normal digestion

This is the most common explanation.

Your intestines move food and fluid throughout the day, and gas travels with them.

You may notice sounds more after a meal because digestive activity increases.

If there is no pain, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, weight loss, or other worrying symptom, ordinary digestive noise is usually harmless.

2. Hunger and an empty digestive tract

Your gut does not become inactive between meals.

Muscular contractions continue even when there is little food present.

With less solid material inside, movement of fluid and gas can sound louder.

This is why a quiet meeting can suddenly make a normal gut seem very noisy.

3. Swallowing too much air

Swallowed air is a major source of digestive gas.

You may swallow more air when you:

• Eat quickly
• Drink quickly
• Talk while chewing
• Chew gum
• Suck hard candy
• Drink through a straw
• Smoke
• Have poorly fitting dentures

Much of this air leaves as a burp. Some travels into the intestines.

4. Carbonated drinks

Carbonated drinks already contain gas.

Soda, sparkling water, beer, and fizzy energy drinks can increase burping and pressure soon after drinking them.

If gurgling is most noticeable after carbonated drinks, a short trial without them is one of the easiest tests you can make.

5. Gas-producing carbohydrates

Some carbohydrates are not fully digested in the small intestine.

They reach the colon, where bacteria break them down and create gas.

Common examples include:

• Beans
• Lentils
• Chickpeas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Onions
• Garlic
• Some fruit
• Whole grains

This does not make these foods unhealthy.

If you recently increased them, give your gut time to adjust and increase portions gradually.

6. Increasing fiber too quickly

Fiber supports digestive health, but adding a large amount overnight can increase gas and bloating.

This often happens after somebody suddenly starts:

• A high fiber cereal
• Fiber powder
• Large portions of legumes
• Several extra servings of vegetables
• High fiber protein bars

Increase fiber gradually rather than trying to reach a high target in one day.

7. Lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance happens when the small intestine does not make enough lactase to digest all the lactose you eat.

Undigested lactose reaches the colon, where bacteria ferment it.

Symptoms can include:

• Gas
• Bloating
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Growling or rumbling

Symptoms usually occur within hours of consuming lactose.

Lactose intolerance is different from milk allergy.

If dairy repeatedly triggers symptoms, discuss it with a healthcare professional rather than removing every dairy food forever without knowing the cause.

8. Fructose and sugar alcohols

Some people do not absorb certain carbohydrates well.

Fructose can trigger gas and bloating in susceptible people, especially in large amounts.

Sugar free foods can also be a hidden source of symptoms.

Check labels for sweeteners such as:

• Sorbitol
• Mannitol
• Xylitol
• Maltitol
• Erythritol

Not everyone reacts to these products, but large amounts can increase digestive symptoms in some people.

9. Constipation

Constipation can make gas harder to move through the intestine.

You may notice:

• Bloating
• Pressure
• Hard stool
• Straining
• Feeling that you did not fully empty
• More gurgling or gas

Treating the constipation can sometimes improve the gas.

See Best Constipation Treatments: 13 Effective Options for a detailed guide.

10. Gastroenteritis or foodborne illness

When diarrhea starts suddenly with cramps and gurgling, an infection is one possibility.

Viruses, bacteria, or contaminated food can make the intestines move faster than usual.

This can produce:

• Loud bowel sounds
• Loose stool
• Cramps
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fever in some infections

Hydration matters during diarrhea.

Seek medical advice for blood in stool, significant dehydration, high fever, severe pain, persistent symptoms, or illness after high risk travel or food exposure.

11. Irritable bowel syndrome

IBS is a disorder of gut brain interaction.

The main pattern is repeated abdominal pain linked with changes in bowel habits such as diarrhea, constipation, or both.

Bloating and gas are also common.

One important point is that IBS does not simply mean you make huge amounts of gas.

Some people with IBS feel discomfort from amounts of gas or stool that would not bother another person.

If you have only noise without repeated pain or bowel changes, that alone does not point strongly to IBS.

See IBS Stomach Noises: Causes and Relief.

12. Functional bloating and gut sensitivity

You can feel very bloated even when there is not a huge amount of extra gas inside the bowel.

That is because the way the gut, diaphragm, abdominal wall, and nervous system respond to normal digestive contents can affect how bloated you feel.

This falls within the broader group of disorders of gut brain interaction.

The sensation is real even when scans do not show a large collection of gas.

13. Celiac disease

Celiac disease is an immune disorder triggered by gluten in people who have the condition.

It damages the small intestine and can cause:

• Bloating
• Gas
• Chronic diarrhea
• Constipation
• Abdominal pain
• Greasy or bulky stool
• Weight loss
• Iron deficiency

Do not start a gluten free diet before getting tested if celiac disease is a possibility.

Removing gluten first can make diagnostic blood tests and biopsies less reliable.

14. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth

SIBO means there is an abnormal increase or change in bacteria in the small intestine.

It can cause extra gas, bloating, diarrhea, and sometimes weight loss.

SIBO is not the explanation for every person with bloating.

It is more often linked with another factor that changes the small intestine, such as altered movement, previous surgery, or another digestive condition.

Do not diagnose SIBO from a social media symptom list.

Testing and treatment should be based on the overall medical picture.

15. Medicines and supplements

Gas or bowel changes can start after a new medicine or supplement.

Possible examples include:

• Metformin
• Some GLP 1 medicines
• Antibiotics
• Magnesium supplements
• Iron supplements
• Fiber supplements
• Some laxatives
• Protein powders with lactose or sugar alcohols

Do not stop prescribed medicine on your own.

If symptoms began after starting or changing a medicine, tell your doctor or pharmacist.

16. Slow stomach emptying

Gastroparesis means the stomach empties more slowly than expected without a physical blockage.

It can cause:

• Feeling full very quickly
• Feeling full long after eating
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Upper abdominal discomfort
• Bloating

Diabetes is one possible cause, and some medicines can also slow stomach emptying.

Gurgling alone does not diagnose gastroparesis.

17. Malabsorption or pancreatic problems

Persistent gas deserves more attention when it comes with weight loss or abnormal stool.

For example, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency can cause:

• Excess gas
• Bloating
• Diarrhea
• Loose, greasy, bad smelling stool
• Weight loss

This is not a common explanation for ordinary gurgling after a meal.

It becomes more important when symptoms suggest that food is not being absorbed properly.

Gas, bloating, and abdominal distention are not the same thing

NIDDK notes that only about half of people who feel bloated also have visible abdominal distention.

This is useful because feeling bloated does not automatically mean your abdomen contains a large volume of trapped gas.

Which foods commonly increase gas?

Different people tolerate different foods.

Common triggers include:

• Beans and lentils
• Chickpeas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Onions
• Garlic
• Milk if lactose is poorly digested
• Some fruit
• Wheat based foods in some people
• High fructose products
• Sugar free foods containing sugar alcohols
• Carbonated drinks
• Very high fiber meals
• High fat meals in some people

Do not treat this as a forbidden food list.

Many of these foods are healthy sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds.

The better method is to find which foods reliably trigger your symptoms.

Should you try a low FODMAP diet?

A low FODMAP diet can help some people with IBS.

FODMAPs are certain fermentable carbohydrates that can pull water into the bowel and be fermented by gut bacteria.

The diet is not meant to be a permanent list of foods you are never allowed to eat.

NIDDK describes using a low FODMAP approach for a few weeks to see whether it helps IBS symptoms.

A structured plan normally has three parts:

1. A short restriction phase
2. Careful food reintroduction
3. A personalized long term diet with as much variety as you tolerate

If your symptoms are significant, work with a dietitian or healthcare professional rather than staying on a very restricted diet for months.

See Best Diet to Prevent Bloating for practical food guidance.

What about probiotics for gas?

Probiotics are not one single treatment.

Different products contain different organisms, doses, and combinations.

A probiotic that helps one digestive condition may do nothing for another.

NIDDK advises discussing probiotics and other supplements with a healthcare professional rather than assuming they are automatically safe or effective.

I would not make a probiotic the first step for ordinary gurgling after a large meal.

Start with the obvious causes first: air swallowing, carbonation, meal size, constipation, and clear food triggers.

Should you use simethicone for gas?

Simethicone is an over the counter medicine used for gas symptoms.

Some people find it helpful, while response varies.

It does not treat lactose intolerance, celiac disease, IBS, constipation, SIBO, or another underlying cause.

If you need gas medicine often, the repeated need is more important than the brand you choose.

Ask a pharmacist or healthcare professional which product is appropriate for you, especially during pregnancy or if you take other medicines.

Can peppermint help?

Peppermint oil has evidence for some IBS symptoms, but peppermint tea and peppermint products are not universal gas cures.

Peppermint can also relax the lower esophageal valve and may worsen heartburn or reflux in some people.

If you have acid reflux, peppermint may not be a good choice.

Can stress cause stomach gurgling and gas?

Yes, stress can change how the digestive tract feels and moves.

The brain and gut communicate in both directions.

This does not mean gas is “all in your head.”

Stress can change eating speed, swallowing, bowel movements, pain sensitivity, sleep, and IBS symptoms.

If symptoms clearly increase during stress, helpful tools may include walking, regular meals, slow breathing, counseling, and improving sleep.

See Can Anxiety Cause Nausea? for more on the gut brain connection.

What if stomach gurgling lasts a week?

The number of days alone does not tell you the cause.

Ask what else is happening.

How do doctors investigate persistent gas and gurgling?

Most people do not need a scan because their stomach makes noise.

Doctors usually begin with the basics.

Your symptom history

Expect questions about:

• When symptoms began
• Foods and drinks
• Meal timing
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Pain
• Weight change
• Medicines and supplements
• Previous surgery
• Travel
• Family history

Physical examination

A clinician may listen to bowel sounds, examine for swelling, and check for tenderness.

Blood tests

Blood tests may be used when anemia, inflammation, celiac disease, nutritional problems, or another condition is suspected.

Stool tests

These may be useful when infection, inflammation, blood loss, or persistent diarrhea is part of the picture.

Breath tests

Breath testing can sometimes help investigate lactose malabsorption or SIBO in selected patients.

These tests should be interpreted in context rather than treated as perfect answers.

Imaging or endoscopy

These are not routine tests for simple gas.

They become more useful when warning signs or another suspected condition justify them.

Do not start a gluten free diet before celiac testing

This deserves its own section because it is an easy mistake to make.

Gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation can occur with celiac disease.

They can also occur with IBS, lactose intolerance, infection, and many other conditions.

If your doctor thinks celiac disease is possible, continue eating gluten until the recommended testing is complete unless your doctor tells you otherwise.

Starting a gluten free diet first can make blood testing and intestinal biopsy less accurate.

How to keep a useful food and symptom diary

Do not write down only the food.

Record enough context to spot the real pattern.

• What you ate
• Approximate portion
• What time you ate
• How quickly you ate
• Carbonated drinks
• Chewing gum
• Dairy intake
• Sugar free products
• Fiber supplements
• Medicines and supplements
• Stress level
• Bowel movements
• Pain
• Bloating
• Gas
• Diarrhea or constipation

One to two weeks is often enough to find obvious triggers.

Bring the record to your appointment if symptoms continue.

A simple seven day gas and gurgling reset

Day 1: Remove carbonation

Switch from fizzy drinks to still drinks.

Day 2: Slow your meals

Sit down, take smaller bites, and do not rush.

Day 3: Check gum and sugar free products

Look for swallowed air and sugar alcohols.

Day 4: Look at dairy

If symptoms clearly follow milk or ice cream, record the pattern rather than removing all dairy without a plan.

Day 5: Check constipation

If stool is hard or infrequent, address that problem rather than treating only the gas.

Day 6: Review medicines and supplements

Look for anything new that started before your symptoms.

Day 7: Review the pattern

If symptoms are already improving, keep the changes that helped.

If symptoms are persistent, worsening, or linked with pain, diarrhea, bleeding, or weight loss, arrange medical care.

Common mistakes to avoid

Removing every gas producing food

Many gas producing foods are nutritious.

Assuming all bloating means too much gas

Gut sensitivity and abdominal muscle responses also matter.

Starting gluten free eating before celiac testing

This can interfere with diagnosis.

Taking probiotics for every digestive symptom

Probiotic effects depend on the strain and condition.

Ignoring constipation

Constipation can be the main reason gas feels trapped.

Calling every bloating problem SIBO

SIBO is one possible diagnosis, not the default explanation.

Ignoring weight loss or abnormal stool

These change the risk picture and deserve medical assessment.

Conclusion: Listen to the pattern, not just the noise

Stomach gurgling and gas are usually normal parts of digestion. Air gets swallowed, bacteria ferment carbohydrates, and your intestinal muscles keep moving food and fluid forward.

The most useful first steps are simple: slow your meals, reduce carbonation, watch obvious food triggers, build fiber gradually, and treat constipation when it is present.

If symptoms keep returning, look deeper. Lactose intolerance, IBS, celiac disease, SIBO, medicine effects, infection, or another digestive condition may need proper evaluation.

Most importantly, do not ignore severe pain, vomiting, bleeding, unexplained weight loss, a hard swollen abdomen, or inability to pass stool or gas.

Your next step: keep a seven day food, bowel, and symptom record. It will usually tell you much more than focusing on how loud your stomach sounds.

References and Sources

1. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Symptoms and Causes of Gas in the Digestive Tract.
   Used for normal gas, swallowed air, fermentation, gas frequency, IBS, carbohydrate malabsorption, and SIBO.
   https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/gas-digestive-tract/symptoms-causes
2. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Treatment for Gas in the Digestive Tract.
   Used for eating slowly, reducing swallowed air, diet changes, supplements, lactose treatment, and condition specific treatment.
   https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/gas-digestive-tract/treatment
3. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Eating, Diet, and Nutrition for Gas in the Digestive Tract.
   Used for meal size, fiber, fat, food diaries, lactose, fructose, celiac disease, and low FODMAP eating.
   https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/gas-digestive-tract/eating-diet-nutrition
4. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Symptoms and Causes of Lactose Intolerance.
   Used for lactose related gas, bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and rumbling.
   https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/lactose-intolerance/symptoms-causes
5. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Symptoms and Causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
   Used for IBS symptoms, bowel habit changes, bloating, gut brain interaction, and SIBO as an associated factor.
   https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/irritable-bowel-syndrome/symptoms-causes
6. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Diagnosis of Celiac Disease.
   Used for celiac testing and the warning not to start a gluten free diet before diagnostic testing.
   https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/celiac-disease/diagnosis
7. NHS. Bloating.
   Used for persistent bloating, constipation, IBS, food intolerance, celiac disease, and urgent warning signs.
   https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/bloating/
8. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Symptoms and Causes for Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency.
   Used for gas associated with greasy stool, diarrhea, bloating, and weight loss.
   https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/exocrine-pancreatic-insufficiency/symptoms-causes

Internal Links + Hub

Author Bio

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my stomach gurgling and full of gas?

Most stomach gurgling and gas come from normal digestive movement, swallowed air, or bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates. Carbonated drinks, eating quickly, constipation, lactose intolerance, and some high fiber foods can make the sounds and gas more noticeable.

Is stomach gurgling normal?

Yes. Bowel sounds are a normal result of the digestive tract moving food, liquid, and gas. Gurgling by itself is usually not a sign of disease.

How can I stop stomach gurgling quickly?

For mild symptoms, avoid fizzy drinks and gum, eat slowly, take a gentle walk, avoid a very large meal, and address constipation if it is present. The best solution depends on the cause.

Why does my stomach gurgle after I eat?

Digestive movement increases after a meal, so food, liquid, and gas move through the intestines more actively. This is usually normal. Certain carbohydrates, large meals, dairy, sugar alcohols, and carbonated drinks can make the sounds louder.

Can constipation cause gas and stomach noises?

Yes. Constipation can make gas harder to move through the bowel and may cause bloating, pressure, gurgling, and discomfort.

Can lactose intolerance cause stomach gurgling?

Yes. Lactose intolerance can cause gas, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and stomach rumbling within hours of consuming lactose containing foods.

Can IBS cause loud stomach noises?

IBS can occur with bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain, so bowel sounds may become more noticeable. Noise alone, without recurrent pain or bowel habit changes, does not diagnose IBS.

Does SIBO cause stomach gurgling and gas?

SIBO can cause increased gas, bloating, diarrhea, and sometimes weight loss. It is one possible cause of persistent symptoms, but it should not be assumed from gas alone.

Should I stop eating gluten if I have gas and bloating?

Not automatically. If celiac disease is possible, do not start a gluten free diet before diagnostic testing unless your healthcare professional advises it, because removing gluten can affect test results.

Is bad smelling gas a sign of disease?

Not usually by itself. Foods and sulfur containing gases can change odor. Persistent foul smelling gas becomes more important when it comes with diarrhea, greasy stool, weight loss, pain, or another change in bowel habits.

When should I see a doctor for stomach gurgling and gas?

Arrange medical care when symptoms persist, suddenly change, interfere with daily life, or occur with repeated pain, diarrhea, constipation, or unexplained weight loss. Seek urgent care for severe pain, repeated vomiting, bleeding, a hard swollen abdomen, or inability to pass stool or gas.

Can probiotics stop stomach gurgling?

There is no single probiotic proven to stop ordinary stomach gurgling. Benefits vary by strain, dose, person, and digestive condition. Start by addressing obvious causes such as swallowed air, carbonation, constipation, and food triggers.

Adel Galal

Health & wellness writer with 30+ years of experience in nutrition, fitness, and healthy aging. Founder of NextFitLife.com — evidence-based health guidance.