When bowel sounds are absent, it can be a sign of a problem.Bowel sounds are the noises made when food, fluid, and gases move around in the intestines.Whether they are quiet enough to be heard only with a stethoscope or loud enough that people notice, these noises are an important sign of healthy intestines.
This article will explain why bowel sounds are important and what may cause them to be absent.
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Causes of Absent Bowel Sounds
Here are some possible causes of absent bowel sounds:
Abdominal surgery:Bowel sounds commonly slow down or stop for a certain amount of time after surgery in the abdominal area. How long this lasts varies from person to person. After surgery, patients are usually told not to eat until bowel sounds resume and they can passgas(which is another sign of normal bowel function).
General anesthesia:When general anesthesia is used during surgeries (even those not involving the digestive tract), bowel sounds may decrease for a time.
Bowel blockage:A blockage is when something stops waste material from moving through the intestines. This can happen, for instance, when scar tissue builds up in the intestine frominflammatory bowel disease (IBD)andCrohn’s disease.It could also be the result of swallowing a foreign body (a non-food item).
Ischemic bowel disease:This is a group of conditions that occur when the blood supply gets blocked to the intestine. Without adequate blood, the bowel may stop working properly.
Pain medications:Certain pain medications, especially those that contain narcotics (such asopioids) tend to slow down the digestive process. Sometimes this can lead to constipation.
Toxic megacolon:This is a condition associated withulcerative colitisthat causes pain and a lack of bowel sounds. It is an emergency and needs to be treated immediately.
Diagnosing the Reason for Absent Bowel Sounds
If the lack of bowel sounds can’t be easily attributed to recent surgery, anesthesia or a known disease such as Crohn’s disease, a healthcare provider may want to perform some tests. These can includeblood testsand/or aCT scanof the abdomen.
In some cases, anendoscopymight be performed to look inside the digestive tract. This might include acolonoscopyor anupper endoscopy. The results of these tests can provide more information about what might be causing a problem in the digestive tract and why there might be an absence of bowel sounds.
What Is a Colonoscopy?
When to See a Healthcare Provider
If you notice that your body isn’t making its normal bowel sounds during digestion over time, you may want to contact a healthcare professional. If your lack of bowel sounds is accompanied any of the following symptoms, you should seek emergency attention:
Summary
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus.Abdominal sounds.Zaborski D, Halczak M, Grzesiak W, Modrzejewski A.Recording and Analysis of Bowel Sounds.Euroasian J Hepatogastroenterol. 2015;5(2):67–73. doi:10.5005/jp-journals-10018-1137National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus.Toxic megacolon.Wang G, Wang M, Liu H, Zhao S, Liu L, Wang W.Changes in bowel sounds of inpatients undergoing general anesthesia.Biomed Eng Online. 2020 Jul 30;19(1):60. doi:10.1186/s12938-020-00805-zXu Y, Xiong L, Li Y, Jiang X, Xiong Z.Diagnostic methods and drug therapies in patients with ischemic colitis.Int J Colorectal Dis. 2021;36(1):47-56. doi:10.1007/s00384-020-03739-zBielefeldt K, Davis B, Binion DG.Pain and inflammatory bowel disease.Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2009;15(5):778–788. doi:10.1002/ibd.20848Nguyen VX, Le Nguyen VT, Nguyen CC.Appropriate use of endoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases: up-to-date indications for primary care providers.Int J Gen Med. 2010;3:345–357. doi:10.2147/IJGM.S14555
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus.Abdominal sounds.Zaborski D, Halczak M, Grzesiak W, Modrzejewski A.Recording and Analysis of Bowel Sounds.Euroasian J Hepatogastroenterol. 2015;5(2):67–73. doi:10.5005/jp-journals-10018-1137National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus.Toxic megacolon.Wang G, Wang M, Liu H, Zhao S, Liu L, Wang W.Changes in bowel sounds of inpatients undergoing general anesthesia.Biomed Eng Online. 2020 Jul 30;19(1):60. doi:10.1186/s12938-020-00805-zXu Y, Xiong L, Li Y, Jiang X, Xiong Z.Diagnostic methods and drug therapies in patients with ischemic colitis.Int J Colorectal Dis. 2021;36(1):47-56. doi:10.1007/s00384-020-03739-zBielefeldt K, Davis B, Binion DG.Pain and inflammatory bowel disease.Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2009;15(5):778–788. doi:10.1002/ibd.20848Nguyen VX, Le Nguyen VT, Nguyen CC.Appropriate use of endoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases: up-to-date indications for primary care providers.Int J Gen Med. 2010;3:345–357. doi:10.2147/IJGM.S14555
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
U.S National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus.Abdominal sounds.Zaborski D, Halczak M, Grzesiak W, Modrzejewski A.Recording and Analysis of Bowel Sounds.Euroasian J Hepatogastroenterol. 2015;5(2):67–73. doi:10.5005/jp-journals-10018-1137National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus.Toxic megacolon.Wang G, Wang M, Liu H, Zhao S, Liu L, Wang W.Changes in bowel sounds of inpatients undergoing general anesthesia.Biomed Eng Online. 2020 Jul 30;19(1):60. doi:10.1186/s12938-020-00805-zXu Y, Xiong L, Li Y, Jiang X, Xiong Z.Diagnostic methods and drug therapies in patients with ischemic colitis.Int J Colorectal Dis. 2021;36(1):47-56. doi:10.1007/s00384-020-03739-zBielefeldt K, Davis B, Binion DG.Pain and inflammatory bowel disease.Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2009;15(5):778–788. doi:10.1002/ibd.20848Nguyen VX, Le Nguyen VT, Nguyen CC.Appropriate use of endoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases: up-to-date indications for primary care providers.Int J Gen Med. 2010;3:345–357. doi:10.2147/IJGM.S14555
U.S National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus.Abdominal sounds.
Zaborski D, Halczak M, Grzesiak W, Modrzejewski A.Recording and Analysis of Bowel Sounds.Euroasian J Hepatogastroenterol. 2015;5(2):67–73. doi:10.5005/jp-journals-10018-1137
National Library of Medicine. Medline Plus.Toxic megacolon.
Wang G, Wang M, Liu H, Zhao S, Liu L, Wang W.Changes in bowel sounds of inpatients undergoing general anesthesia.Biomed Eng Online. 2020 Jul 30;19(1):60. doi:10.1186/s12938-020-00805-z
Xu Y, Xiong L, Li Y, Jiang X, Xiong Z.Diagnostic methods and drug therapies in patients with ischemic colitis.Int J Colorectal Dis. 2021;36(1):47-56. doi:10.1007/s00384-020-03739-z
Bielefeldt K, Davis B, Binion DG.Pain and inflammatory bowel disease.Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2009;15(5):778–788. doi:10.1002/ibd.20848
Nguyen VX, Le Nguyen VT, Nguyen CC.Appropriate use of endoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases: up-to-date indications for primary care providers.Int J Gen Med. 2010;3:345–357. doi:10.2147/IJGM.S14555
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