Why does your stomach growl?
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Have you ever wondered why, without warning, suddenly, your stomach will start growling?
If it's loud, it can be pretty embarrassing.
We as a society don't like bodily noises, but rest assured, all stomachs growl, some louder than others.
First, what's growling?
"Actually, [it's] not the stomach, or I should say, not just the stomach. It's the entire intestinal tract, and it's totally normal," according to Allegheny Health Network's Dr. Randy Peters.
Dr. Peters said from one end to the other, your eating and digestive tract is about 22 feet.
"It usually takes about one to two days to traverse the entire distance," Dr. Peters added.
The entire system is active, pushing the food down the hatch, but there's a catch.
"Not everything is always perfectly in sync at the same time."
So, voids or gaps are created.
"Then, you can generate sounds. I should note, those sounds are always present," Dr. Peters said.
But normally, the sounds are only audible through a stethoscope. If the void gets big enough, the sounds get louder, and you draw stares. You may not feel hungry, but the empty spot is there.
How can you stop the noise?
"You just put something in it. A few crackers, a little bit of an apple, maybe some peanut butter; give it something to do."
And stomach growling is not gender exclusive, but some body types may make more noise than others.
"Somebody who's very thin, you might hear everything, just like an apartment has really thin walls that you can hear everything that's going on the next door," the doctor described.
You can try quelling the growling with water, which might work initially, but Dr. Peters said your stomach won't be fooled for long.
So, does it mean you are hungry? Or something is wrong?
No to something being wrong and not necessarily to hunger, either. Dr. Peters said it just means perhaps you haven't eaten in a while, and you have a void in your system that's going to make noise.