User:RanchRulez/Borborygmus

Borborygmus (plural borborygmi, pronounced \ˌbȯr-bə-ˈrig-məs\; from Greek borborugmos) is a rumbling or gurgling noise that occurs from the movements of fluid and gas in the intestines. This process may occur in animals, as well as humans. Most individuals identify this condition merely as stomach rumbling or gurgling, but there is much more behind the noise. The sound occurs due to gases in your body that flow through the small intestine. Waves of muscle contractions move the foods and gases through your digestive system. The food is pushed against the intestinal wall, which induces the noise. These contractions are also known as the process peristalsis, and are the ultimate cause of borborygmus.

Etymology
Borborygmus is related to the sixteenth-century French word borborygme, but goes further back into history with the Greek word borborugmos. Both terms of different origins have similar meanings. The Greek came across the word from its onomatopoeic value.

Related Diseases/Conditions
Having a professional perform a diagnosis with a stethoscope is a vital gesture regarding one's health. Increased levels of gas and borborygmus may cause one to feel bloated. Although this feeling is usually harmless along with borborygmus, they may be signs of an upset stomach or other medical conditions. Borborygmi are altered or absent in several diseases.


 * Celiac disease is a condition that prevents the small intestine from absorbing parts of food that is needed to stay
 * Colitis is swelling of the large intestine.


 * Diverticulitis is a condition where small bulging sacks, usually found in the large intestine, become inflamed or infected.


 * Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder in the lower intestinal tract.

Other Causes
A few other causes of borborygmus:


 * Incomplete digestion of food can lead to excess gas in the intestine. In humans this can be due to incomplete digestion of carbohydrate-containing foods including milk and other dairy products (lactose intolerance or the use of α-glucosidase inhibitors by diabetics), gluten (protein in wheat, barley, and rye) (celiac disease), fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and high-fiber whole grains. In rare instances, excessive abdominal noise may be a sign of digestive disease, especially when accompanied by abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation. Some examples of diseases that may be associated with this symptom include carcinoid neoplasm and celiac sprue.


 * Louder forms of borborygmus may occur when one is hungry. Around 2 hours after your stomach has been emptied, it sends signals to your brain, which tells the digestive muscles to restart peristalsis. Food that was left behind after the first cycle is swept up, and the vibrations of your empty stomach cause hunger. Appetite plays a big role in this situation. Peristalsis reoccurs about every hour, and your appetite will cause 10-20 minute food cravings.


 * Borborygmus can form further along the gastrointestinal system when air is swallowed due to talking, eating, and drinking. This phenomenon occurs in most people and is typical.


 * Consuming high fiber foods such as cabbage or beans can produce more gas because they are harder to break down.

Publications
The word borborygmic has been used in literature to describe noisy plumbing. In Ada, Vladimir Nabokov wrote: "All the toilets and waterpipes in the house had been suddenly seized with borborygmic convulsions". In A Long Way Down (New York: Harper, 1959, p. 54), Elizabeth Fenwick wrote: "The room was very quiet, except for its borborygmic old radiator"