The following is a list of more serious conditions that can cause abnormal bowel sounds. Most are harmless and do not need to be treated. Many conditions can cause hyperactive or hypoactive bowel sounds. Most of the sounds you hear in your stomach and intestines are due to normal digestion. Very high-pitched bowel sounds may be a sign of early bowel obstruction. If bowel sounds are hypoactive or hyperactive and there are other abnormal symptoms, you should continue to follow-up with your provider.įor example, no bowel sounds after a period of hyperactive bowel sounds can mean there is a rupture of the intestines, or strangulation of the bowel and death ( necrosis) of the bowel tissue. This may happen with diarrhea or after eating.Ībdominal sounds are always evaluated together with symptoms such as: Hyperactive bowel sounds mean there is an increase in intestinal activity. Increased ( hyperactive) bowel sounds can sometimes be heard even without a stethoscope. Decreased or absent bowel sounds often indicate constipation. They also occur normally for a short time after the use of certain medicines and after abdominal surgery. Hypoactive bowel sounds are normal during sleep. They are a sign that intestinal activity has slowed. Reduced (hypoactive) bowel sounds include a reduction in the loudness, tone, or regularity of the sounds.
The provider may be unable to hear any bowel sounds when listening to the abdomen. This problem can cause gas, fluids, and the contents of the intestines to build up and break open (rupture) the bowel wall. Many medical conditions may lead to ileus. Ileus is a condition in which there is a lack of intestinal activity. However, there are some cases in which abnormal sounds can indicate a problem. A health care provider can check abdominal sounds by listening to the abdomen with a stethoscope ( auscultation). They simply mean that the gastrointestinal tract is working. The intestines are hollow, so bowel sounds echo through the abdomen much like the sounds heard from water pipes. Abdominal sounds (bowel sounds) are made by the movement of the intestines as they push food through.
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