Where possible, treating the underlying cause of SIBO can reduce your symptoms and prevent future attacks. How is small intestinal bacterial overgrowth treated? Your provider can then test the air for high levels of hydrogen or methane, which indicates you have SIBO. You have a sugary drink first, then breathe into a balloon every 15 minutes for three hours. If your provider at Gastroenterology Associates of Beverly Hills suspects you have SIBO, they’ll ask you to do a lactulose breath test. The slowing down of your digestive system that leads to SIBO could be due to: Why would I get small intestinal bacterial overgrowth? These symptoms are quite vague and could be due to many other causes, so you need to visit Gastroenterology Associates of Beverly Hills for a diagnosis. If your SIBO gets worse, you could also experience weight loss and anemia because your body isn’t absorbing enough nutrients from your food. What are the symptoms of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth? There are good bacteria that help you digest food, but there are also harmful bacteria in your gut, and if they are the ones growing out of control, it can cause the imbalance that leads to symptoms of SIBO. If the partially digested food isn’t progressing along at the right speed, the bacteria in that area start to multiply. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth typically arises when your small intestine isn’t moving food through your gut fast enough. However, the balance between good and bad bacteria can sometimes get disrupted, leading to SIBO. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) means you have high levels of bacteria in your gut.īacteria are essential to gut health, and everyone has bacteria in their small intestine that help with digestion. What is small intestinal bacterial overgrowth?

Small bowel overgrowth