SIBO: Symptoms, Recognition and Treatment

SIBO or bacterial overgrowth is on the rise. The syndrome, which causes abdominal inflammation, excess gas and other digestive problems, has gone viral on social media. In fact, it has become associated with any changes in digestion. But what exactly is SIBO?

On the website tucanaldesalud.es we give you the keys to understanding this disease: how it manifests itself, how it is diagnosed and what treatment it is.

What is SIBO?

SIBO, which is an abbreviation in English that means Bacterial overgrowth in the small intestinelink to bacterial overgrowth syndrome. In particular, it arises due to excessive increase in bacteria in the small intestine, where they are not usually found in very large quantities. This causes health problems such as poor absorption of nutrients.

Despite its recent diagnostic emergence, recent years have seen an increase in cases of bacterial overgrowth in the population. Dr. José Francisco Tinao, specialist in biological and anti-aging medicine at the Olympia Medical-Surgical Center, tells us that “Symptoms of SIBO, often chronic, can have a significant impact on quality of life. of the victims.”

Symptoms of SIBO

Excessive bacterial growth causes the following consequences:

What causes this

This syndrome occurs when bacteria that is normally found in the large intestine or large intestine enters the small intestine, where it should not be present in excessive quantities. It’s connected with various reasonsHow:

• Insufficient amount of stomach acid, bile salts, digestive enzymes.
• Slow or irregular bowel movements
• anatomical changes
• Immune system dysfunction

It should be added that it is estimated that 22% of people worldwide have some of these changes, reaching 85% in cases of irritable bowel disease.

Relationship with other diseases

Regardless of nutritional deficiencies causing poor nutrient absorption, your doctor also points out a possible link to the following disorders or diseases:

Diagnosis of SIBO

lactulose breath test is the most used find out if a person has SIBO. In particular, this non-invasive test which measures the amount of hydrogen or methane exhaled after consuming lactulose, an oral solution, and takes measurements every half hour. In this regard, Dr. Tinao explains to us that “the pattern of increased concentrations of hydrogen and methane in the breath indirectly determines the presence of excess bacteria in the small intestine.”

Treatment and diet for people with SIBO

The procedure for treating bacterial overgrowth in the intestines and restoring balance usually consists of taking specific antibioticswhose success rate is around 66%.

In addition, you must include certain changes in diet and lifestyle, for example, by reducing the amount of fermentable carbohydrates or so-called FODMAPs. In more detail, Dr. Alfonso Carabel Vázquez, director of nutrition services at the same hospital, explains that “A low FODMAP diet reduces the amount of food that feeds bacteria, helping to control symptoms.

and to therapeutic efforts to control the bacterial population.”

Finally, Dr. Tinao adds that “use of probiotics and prebiotics and, in some difficult cases, other non-invasive treatments, These are new useful tools for the body that support the immune system.

In any case it is recommended adapt the diet according to the bacterial profile of each case, taking into account anti-inflammatory diets or diets that limit certain types of carbohydrates.