As we get closer to Gut Week (23-29th August), perhaps it’s time to focus in on some of the areas of the gut that we tend to ignore – or at least try to!what-is-your-gut-telling-you

Everyone’s gut makes noises. Some of us may only have these on occasions, whereas others might be blighted by uncomfortable and irritating noises on a day to day basis. How do you deal with these? Well sometimes, you have to get to understand your body well enough to know that your gut ‘talking’ could be part of its way of showing you it’s working efficiently.

 Burping for instance is regarded as uncouth, but eructation, as it’s properly called, is simply air escaping from the stomach or oesophagus. If you think that with each mouthful of food or drink you take in air, and while most escapes through a breath or is absorbed in the blood, some needs to use other routes.

Technically burping three or four times after a meal is about normal – making a big show of it isn’t though! And what about when you hear a noise AFTER eating? Why on earth does that happen – I mean it’s not like you can be hungry! No, it’s actually caused when partly digested food entering the small intestine is processed by bacteria which help to break it down. A by product of that is gas and it can cause a gurgling or popping sound from the abdomen.

It can be fascinating understanding more about the workings of the digestive system, but more than that, the more we know, the more we can understand but also recognise the warning signs and the healthy signs. And of course if you’ve had some warning signs which are persistant then maybe it’s time to speak to your GP or practice nurse. And that’s what Gut Week is about. Understanding more about the digestive system, thinking about how to look after it and knowing when to take action. And if even a few of us take those steps, we could be a bit closer to better digestive health.