What is SIBO and how to detect it?

go through Martina Dello

SIBO is bacterial overgrowth, the presence of too much bacteria in the small intestine, causing gastrointestinal symptoms. It gets its name from the English abbreviation (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). These bacteria are usually found in the large intestine rather than the small intestine.

Some of the most common symptoms you can document are:

– stomach ache

– bloating

– An uncomfortable feeling of fullness after eating

– diarrhea

– constipate.

In some more severe cases, it can lead to malabsorption, anemia, or vitamin deficiencies.

Not everyone with stomach problems will develop SIBO, although the condition shares symptoms with other functional disorders of the digestive system, such as gastritis or irritable bowel syndrome, which can be affected by everyday problems such as stress levels and diet). personal..

How to make a diagnosis?

It is done by an indirect method: the exhaled air test, or breath test, which is currently available.

The study lasted about an hour and a half, during which time a person’s breath was controlled to measure the level of hydrogen gas present in their gut. This has to do with the level of bacteria present, since at the start of the study the patients had to consume a sugar-based preparation that facilitated the bacterial response.

Which is the treatment?

If positive, antibiotics are required as first-line treatment, which will depend on the test results as they are treated with different antibiotics. Knowing how to interpret the curves to give the correct diagnosis and approach is key.

During the maintenance phase, nutritional counseling is necessary so that patients do not relapse, as the rate of relapse is very high if habits are not changed. If patients continue their previous lifestyle, eating the same as before, these bacteria can grow again and symptoms will return.

It is very important not to self-medicate and to be diagnosed by a specialist who knows how to interpret the test curve and monitored by a nutritionist trained in the subject.