SMALL INTESTINAL BACTERIAL OVERGROWTH
~SIBO~
Do you suffer from IBS ( Irritable Bowel Syndrome?)
SIBO is actually the most common cause of IBS and can cause such diverse symptoms as:
Bloating after meals
Burping after meals
Gas/wind
Abdominal cramping
Diarrhoea or constipation or alternating
Acid reflux
Nausea
Acne rosacea
Leaky gut symptoms (food sensitivities, joint pain, brain fog, etc)
Fibromyalgia - yes really!
Less Common Symptoms Include:
Restless leg syndrome that won’t respond to the usual treatments
Right lower abdominal pain that comes and goes
Anxiety
Immune issues
Irritable bladder
Fatigue
Insomnia
SIBO essentially means the your good gut bacteria (and some times some bad ones as well) have overpopulated and have moved house. While the large intestine, or colon, can contain trillions of microbes, the small intestine should have far less. And usually its a one-way trip, while small intestinal bacteria can migrate into the colon with food, there is a one way valve , called the ileocecal valve at the junction of the small and large intestines that prevents the microbes from travelling back up.
But often this valve no longer works properly and then you have the perfect environment for a population explosion in an area that should be relatively low in these microbes.
There are also many other causes of SIBO - some common and some so unusual, that you would expect to be associated with this condition ( see below)
Have a look at this short video
This is an easy breath test which is completed in the privacy of your own home and will indicate if SIBO is your problem. But it needs to be interpreted by a partitioner qualified in the treatment of SIBO as there are several difference kinds of this condition which require different treatments and dietary approaches
Causes of SIBO
The following factors may be involved in the onset of SIBO - the causes are very similar to many other functional gut disorders such as leaky gut :
Stress – you can’t be digesting food when you are fighting tigers and essentially the entire gastrointestinal tract slows down allowing the bad bacteria to grow – a bit like weeds in a neglected veggie garden- which causes inflammation of that lining!
Alcohol in excess stresses the entire digestive system.
Diets high in processed and refined foods with too little fibre.
Certain medication, including but not limited to, antibiotics, drugs for reflux and heartburn, NSAIDs, antidepressants and chemotherapy( NB: do NOT cease any prescribed medications without first discussing with your doctor)
Parasitic infections of the gut – cause inflammation of the lining.
Fungal infections - cause inflammation of the lining and allow other microbes to take up residence.
A previous episode of gastroenteritis ( “gastro”) - even if it was years ago
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) - some of the newer research indicates that a decent head knock - with or without loss of consciousness, can eventually lead to SIBO - even if your injury was years ago. Think contact sports, or even falling from a change table as a young infant.
SO WHAT CAN I DO?
SIBO is a complicated condition, and often is misdiagnosed and wrongly treated. You may have had this condition for years and have been on the practitioner/doctor merry-go-round. This is why a multifaceted treatment approach by a qualified SIBO practitioner is required to ensure the best possible, permanent outcome.
Please remember. no treatment that you have sort in the past will have been wasted - health is always inevitably a journey.
Why choose a qualified SIBO Practitioner?
These practitioners have completed an accredited SIBO Education Course and are active SIBO- treating practitioners. This will ensure that you get the best results.
Emily Fidirikkos has completed the SIBO mastery program with the SIBO doctor - one of the leaders in the field and is a qualified SIBO coach. Read more about The SIBO Doctor here
As in all aspects of the body, your gut wants to be well, so following a precise bi-phasic diet with targeted herbs and nutrients, your balance of bugs will be back to where they should be!
