Are you suffering from stomachaches? Gas? Bloating? It could be due to an overgrowth of bacteria within the small intestine. It’s known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or SIBO This condition can cause approximately 80percent of those suffering from IBS, also known as irritable intestinal syndrome (IBS). Many people don’t realize that bacteria is the reason for their irritable symptoms.
The bowel is where bacteria make sense. It’s the place the place where our bodies cleanse and remove toxic substances. The problem begins when the bacteria that normally thrive in other areas of the gastrointestinal tract get trapped in the small bowel. They fermentation and the production of gas. This gas can cause the sensation of bloating, pain, vomiting nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and constipation.
FAQ The Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
Beyond gas, bloat and cramps, SIBO can affect your body’s capacity to absorb food, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies or imbalances as well as weight loss and other symptoms that are troubling. People ask me frequently:
Q: What is SIBO?
The term SIBO indicates a change to the bacteria that reside in the small intestinal. The illness is caused by an increased amount of bacteria that are in the small bowel, or an alteration in the kind of bacteria that live in the bowel.
Q: What is the cause?
1. There’s lots of possible causes. Factors that increase your chance for developing SIBO include:
Insufficient barriers: Natural antimicrobial barriers such as pancreatic enzymes and stomach acid keep bacteria out inside the bowels of small children. If these barriers become weak due to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) or pancreatic insufficiency, or any other issue bacteria may enter smaller intestines. Medicines that alter the pH in stomach acids (like proton pump inhibitors that are used to combat acid reflux) may also affect the body’s natural defenses.
Immune deficiencies: A large part of the function of your immune system is to eliminate harmful bacteria. If you suffer from any health issue that affects the immune system of your body, then you’re at a higher chance to develop SIBO. People with weak immune systems, like people over the age of 65 and those who suffer from HIV or celiac disease, are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with SIBO.
Anatomical anomalies: Have you ever experienced bariatric surgery or a procedure that resects an intestinal tract? These procedures can cause anatomical changes in the intestines which can provide the perfect environment for the growth of bacteria. Bowel adhesions and scar tissue may cause obstructions, which can result in SIBO. Women are more susceptible to suffering from SIBO, in part due to the fact that the likelihood is higher to suffer from IBS which increases the chance of developing SIBO.
Constipation conditions: Health problems like hypothyroidism, scleroderma, and other disorders of the nervous system that affect the body’s ability to move food waste through your digestive tract increase the likelihood of SIBO. Drugs like narcotics cause a slowdown in the gut and increase the risk.
Q: How can you know if you’ve got SIBO?
A: The best and most precise method of determining if a person is suffering from SIBO is to look at microbes in inside the intestines of small size. Because this requires an in-depth procedure, the majority of doctors are able to diagnose SIBO using a lactulose test as well as a sugar breath test. The test is easy and noninvasive. involves drinking a mixture that contains either glucose or the lactulose (both kinds of sugar). The bacteria in the small bowel process the sugars and produce methane or hydrogen gas. If the levels of these gases are higher than normal it is likely that you suffer from SIBO.
Q: What do you need to do take to treat the problem?
SIBO treatment is extremely individual and intricate. Doctors attempt to address each and every cause that can be identified for the bacterial overgrowth, such as lifestyle, diet and other underlying issues like Parkinson’s disease. Most patients adhere to an eating plan that is low in fermentable carbohydrates to manage symptoms. It is known as the lower FODMAP food plan (FODMAP is an abbreviation used to describe substances in food that are hard for certain individuals to absorb: disaccharides, fermentable oligosaccharides and polyols, and monosaccharides) The plan hasn’t been tested to stop the growth of bacterial. Elemental diets are prepared liquid formulas that substitute beverages and food for a specific time and have a greater cure rate than diets with low FODMAP. Other treatments consist of antimicrobial herb (like oregano and Berberine) or antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and metronidazole (Flagyl) or Rifaximin (Xifaxan) as well as getting the gut back in balance by introducing probiotics (good bacteria).
How to Treat SIBO
SIBO typically occurs as a result of an underlying condition, specifically digestive-related conditions like celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and inflammatory colon disease (IBD). Research indicates that a greater than a third of those suffering from IBD also suffer from SIBO.
Many people suffering from SIBO are unaware that the cause of their symptoms is the overgrowth of bacteria. If left untreated, SIBO can lead to grave complications, including nutritional deficiencies, dehydration and malnutrition.
SIBO is treatable however, it is also possible to be recurrent. If you suspect that you may have SIBO it is essential to seek out a qualified medical professional. After treatment is started any other underlying disease should be taken care of. Some patients will improve within a couple of weeks. Others may require several months of treatment. It all depends on the extent of bacterial growth in the intestines of small size.
