SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) Symptoms, Diet, Natural/Antibiotic Treatments, and IBS

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• Facts and Definition of SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)
• What Does SIBO Mean?
• SIBO Symptoms and Signs
• SIBO Causes
• How Do We Get Good Gut Bacteria, and How What Does It Do?
• SIBO and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Causes of Increased Production of Gas (Flatulence, Farting)
• What Tests Are Used To Diagnose SIBO?
• What Is the Treatment for Classic SIBO and SIBO Associated with IBS?
• Treatment with Antibiotics Versus Probiotics
• Where Can I Find Out What Research Is Being Done for SIBO?

• SIBO is a condition in which colonic-type bacteria (resembling bacteria normally found in the colon) proliferate in large numbers in the small intestine.
• SIBO may be caused by dysfunction of intestinal nerves or muscles, and anatomic abnormalities of the intestine including intestinal obstruction, or the presence of bypassed small intestine (a blind loop).
• The symptoms of are:
  • abdominal bloating or distension,
  • gas, diarrhea, and
  • abdominal pain.
  • In advanced cases, there may be vitamin and mineral deficiencies and weight loss.
• The condition is diagnosed by culturing intestinal fluid or with hydrogen breath testing.
• The problem may be the cause of symptoms in at least some individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
• SIBO is treated with antibiotics, probiotics, low-FODMAP diet, or a combination of all three.

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) refers to a condition in which abnormally large numbers of bacteria (usually defined as at least 100,000 bacteria per ml of fluid) are present in the small intestine, and the types of bacteria in the small intestine resemble more the bacteria of the colon than the small intestine. There are many conditions associated with SIBO including diabetes, scleroderma, Crohn's disease, and others. There is a striking similarity between the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and SIBO. It has been theorized that SIBO may be responsible for the symptoms of at least some people diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome.

The small bowel, also known as the small intestine, is the part of the gastrointestinal tract that connects the stomach with the colon. The main purpose of the small intestine is to digest and absorb food into the body. The small intestine is approximately 21 feet in length and begins at the duodenum (into which food from the stomach empties), followed by the jejunum and then the ileum (which empties the food that has not been digested and absorbed in the small intestine into the large intestine or colon).

The entire gastrointestinal tract, including the small intestine, normally contains bacteria. The number of bacteria is greatest in the colon (usually at least 1,000,000,000 bacteria per milliliter or ml of fluid) and much lower in the small intestine (less than 10,000 bacteria per ml of fluid). Moreover, the types of bacteria within the small intestine are different than the types of bacteria within the colon. It has been suggested, however, that SIBO and its symptoms may occur with smaller numbers of bacteria, for example, 10,000 per ml of fluid.

SIBO also is known as small bowel bacterial overgrowth or bacterial overgrowth of the small bowel or intestine.

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