Avoid Embarrassing Gut Noises

We've all experienced it: you're in an important meeting or sitting in a quiet classroom taking a test when suddenly, an embarrassing noise breaks the silence. It's your gut, and it's gurgling. This can be a result of gas or peristalsis, the contraction of your intestines. A certain amount of this is normal and unavoidable — digestion requires action in your gut, and a silent gut isn't a healthy one. Even so, you probably want to avoid a cacophony of gurgles and groans at inappropriate times, and there are steps you can take to cut down on these embarrassing noises.

Steps

Snacking Strategically

1. Have a little snack. In the short-term, one of the best things you can do to stop the gut-grumbling is to have a small snack. Sometimes, you gut will make noises because you are hungry.
   • It may seem odd, but your gut is actually most active when it's empty! Food in your system slows the normal movement of your gut, which can cut down on the symphony of gurgles.
   • Avoid going into a meeting, an exam, or a big date on an empty stomach. This may cut down on embarrassing noises.
2. Drink some water. Clean water can also help cut down on the gurgling, if you drink it in moderation. Pair your snack with a small glass of water for best results.
   • Ideally, the water should be filtered, distilled, boiled, or otherwise purified. Some tap water contains chlorine and/or bacteria that can irritate a sensitive gut.
3. Don't overdo it on fluids. On the flip side, don't drink too much water, or any other liquid. This also can produce gurgling sounds as the water moves through your system.
   • This can be especially problematic if you have to be very active. A stomach full of water can make some pretty noisy sounds if you have to move around much.

Eating for a Healthy Gut

1. Eat probiotics. A gut that never makes noises can be a sign of an unhealthy digestive tract, but so too can an overly noisy intestine. One way to keep your internal ecosystem healthy is to eat probiotic foods that encourage the growth of healthy bacteria in your system.
   • Good choices for probiotic foods include sauerkraut, natural pickles, kombucha, yogurt, unpasteurized cheese, kefir, miso, and kimchi.
   • Having healthy bacteria in your intestines aids digestion, which can cut down on noises that may come from an unhealthy gut.
2. Eat smaller portions. Eating too much at a time puts strain on your digestive system that isn't good for your health and can increase the occurrence of unpleasant noises.
   • Instead of eating big meals, try eating several smaller meals throughout the day. This will keep your stomach from going empty, while also giving your system adequate time to digest.
3. Make sure you're getting enough (but not too much) fiber. Fiber helps keep the food you eat moving through the system in a regular, healthy way.
   • Fiber is good for your digestive system, and actually has healthy, cleaning effect. Beware, however — too much fiber can create gas and contribute to gut noises.
   • Women need 25 grams of fiber per day. Men need 38. Most Americans only eat 15. Whole grains and leafy greens (as well as many other vegetables) are great sources of fiber.
4. Cut back on caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine can upset your gut by increasing acidity and increase embarrassing noises. Alcohol and other chemicals (including those found in some medications) may further exacerbate the problem.
   • In particular, avoid drinking coffee on an empty stomach. The combination of all that fluid and the potential irritation caused by the caffeine and acidity can lead to a chorus of gurgles and groans.
5. Cut back on dairy and/or gluten. Sometimes, an unhealthy (and noisy) gut can be a sign that you have a food intolerance, which may be irritating your stomach and intestines. An intolerance to dairy or gluten (wheat), in particular, is a common problem that can lead to gut noises.
   • Avoid foods containing dairy or gluten for a week or two and see if you notice any improvement. If so, you may have an intolerance. Consider seeing a doctor for formal diagnosis.
   • Try cutting back on one, then the other, and see if either one has a positive effect. Or you can try cutting both out of your diet and then, after a week or two, reintroduce dairy and notice any changes. After a week, try reintroducing gluten and see what happens.
6. Try peppermint. Peppermint can have a soothing effect on an irritated gut. Try drinking peppermint tea. For stronger treatment, you can try Colpermin or Mintec. These are natural products that mix peppermint and other soothing ingredients, which some people have found helpful.

Minimizing Gas and Air in Your Gut

1. Eat slowly. Many gut noises don't result from intestinal conditions but instead arise from having too much gas or air in the digestive system. This is a problem that is relatively easy to correct. One simple solution is to slow down your eating.
   • When you eat too quickly, you swallow a lot of air. This results in bubbles that create embarrassing gut noises as they move around your digestive system.
2. Spit out your gum. Chewing gum has a similar effect to eating too quickly. It makes you swallow air as you chew it. If you're having gut noises, spit out the gum.
3. Avoid bubbles. Bubbly beverages like soda, beer, and and carbonated water can also lead to gurgling sounds in your gut.
   • These drinks are pumped full of gas, which then makes its way into your digestive system.
4. Lay off the carbs and fat. Carbohydrates and especially refined sugars can produce a lot of gas when digested. Steer clear of sugary and starchy foods, as well as excess fat.
   • Even otherwise healthy foods such as fruit juices (especially apple and pear) can produce this effect due to their high sugar content.
   • Fat does not cause gas on it's own, but can lead to bloating, which can place pressure on your intestines and worsen the problem.
5. Don't smoke. Everyone knows smoking is bad for you, but you may not have known it can lead to embarrassing gut noises. Smoking, like gum chewing or eating too fast, can also result in the swallowing of air.
   • If you smoke, consider quitting. If you can't or don't want to quit, at least avoid smoking before any situation in which gut noises might cause you embarrassment.
6. Consider medication. If you suffer from frequent gas problems, you may want to consider a medication that targets this problem.
   • A number of pills are available that can help your body digest the foods that cause gas. You can find these at any drug store. Talk to your doctor or a pharmacist for recommendations.

Making Positive Lifestyle Changes

1. Get enough sleep. Your gut needs rest, just like the rest of your body. Get seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Otherwise, your gut's ability to function normally can be temporarily weakened.
   • Additionally, many people have a tendency to overeat if they don't get enough sleep. This, too, creates strain on the gut and a potential for more noise.
2. Relax. Anyone who has given a public talk or gone on an important date can tell you that stress and anxiety can affect the gut. This increases stomach acid, gas, and gurgling.
   • Do what you can to reduce stress. Take deep breaths and get enough exercise. Consider meditation.
3. Loosen your belt. Wearing clothes that are too tight can obstruct your gut, hindering healthy digestion. This isn't a positive thing under any circumstances, but if you are concerned about gut noises, it definitely may be contributing to the problem.
   • A tight belt or clothing slows the digestion of carbohydrates, contributing to gas.
4. Brush your teeth more often. Good oral hygiene can reduce stomach noises by limiting the introduction of unhealthy bacteria through the mouth.
5. See a doctor. If you have ongoing problems with gut noises, especially if they are accompanied by discomfort or diarrhea, see a doctor. This can be a sign of more serious health problems.
   • Ongoing gut problems can be a sign of irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease, among other problems.

Dealing with Embarrassment

1. Understand that these noises are common. Sometimes, even if you do everything physically possible to avoid an embarrassing bodily function or gut sound, it cannot be avoided. The good news is that these noises and functions are common — they happen to absolutely everyone. So, while you may want to melt into the floor when your stomach makes a weird sound during your presentation, it may help to remind yourself that embarrassment (and gut noises) are universally experienced, and not something you need to obsess over.
   • Because the sounds our body makes are, ultimately, not totally under our control, try not to worry about it too much. If you'd like to minimize these noises, you can try the diet and lifestyle changes suggested in this article; but, unless it's indicating a more serious health problem, try not to worry about it too much.
   • It is unlikely, too that anyone else is making as big of a deal out of your embarrassment as you are — it's possible, even, that no one else heard your stomach rumble. You may be experiencing the "spotlight effect," which is when you believe people are more focused on you and your actions than they really are.
2. Know that it's okay to feel embarrassed. Everyone feels embarrassed at some point in his life — it's part of being human. And, believe it or not, embarrassment can actually be a positive thing. Research has found that people who display embarrassment are more likely to be kind and generous to others. In addition, a person who reveals his embarrassment is considered more likable and trustworthy by others.
3. Learn to deflect. Maybe you know everyone heard the embarrassing gut noise because they responded with laughter, or a comment like "What was that?". There are many ways you can deal with the embarrassment in the moment (and some may be involuntary, such as blushing). One good tactic is to acknowledge what happened, then laugh it off or minimize it, and move on.
   • You could say something like, "Woah, sorry about that!" or even, "Well, that was embarrassing. Anyway..." Even if you want to run out of the room and hide, try just owning what happened and acting like it's no big deal.
   • Take a deep breath if you need to get control of your emotions. Remember not to take yourself or the situation too seriously.
4. Move on. Sometimes, people will dwell on an embarrassing moment weeks, months, even years or decades after the incident. But once the moment has passed, that's it — it's part of the past, and you need to keep moving forward and living. Reliving the experience doesn't change anything and neither does punishing yourself — especially because gut noises really aren't something you can even control!
   • If your stomach is noisy and you're afraid of being embarrassed by the sounds again and again in the future, you can do some work to prepare yourself for these moments, such as visualizing how you might react in the moment should it happen again. This way, you've already practiced what to do, and it will likely be easier for you to quickly move past it in the moment.
   • Don't let it stop you from living your life. You may be tempted to avoid situations with the potential for embarrassment (meeting someone at the library, where it's very quiet, giving a speech or presentation in front of a group, hanging out one-on-one with a crush, etc.), but it's important not to limit yourself based on something that might happen.

Tips

• You will never completely stop gut noises, as they are a natural part of digestion. Accept that a certain amount of gurgling is normal and a sign of good health rather than being embarrassed.
• Substitution of artificial sweeteners for sugar may not help much if you are trying to minimize gut noises. Many artificial sweeteners contain sugar alcohols that that can be as bad or worse when it comes to promoting gas production.

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Sources and Citations

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