For example, low calcium can lead to muscle spasms, selenium deficiency to skin rashes and dermatitis, and vitamin B-12 deficiency can cause nerve pain, anemia and fatigue. People who have gone untreated for SIBO a long time may also exhibit symptoms of malabsorption of vitamins and minerals, which can lead to some of the “generalized, nonspecific symptoms” above. Generalized unexplained symptoms, such as fatigue, joint pain, brain fog, muscle pain, etc.Stomach pain, bloating and abdominal distention (especially after meals).You may suspect you have SIBO based on symptoms such as: The result is “small intestinal bacteria overgrowth” – SIBO. Such an imbalance could arise from foreign, invasive bacteria entering the gut OR from an abnormal increase in native intestinal bacteria in the small intestine. If those bacteria become imbalanced, it can disrupt the normal functioning of the entire digestive system. Under normal conditions, the majority of gut bacteria are housed in the large intestine, while only trace amounts of bacteria live in the small intestine.Īlthough small intestine bacteria are fewer in number, they still play an important part in producing regularity signals to the intestinal cells. Produce hormones that help regulate weight and metabolismīacteria are present in our stomach, small intestine and large intestine.Gut bacteria play many roles in our overall health, helping our bodies: Having the right types in the correct balance is essential to our health. Our bodies have a symbiotic relationship with gut bacteria. In this article, I will share the fundamentals about small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, so you can feel confident and informed if you wish to discuss diagnosis and treatment options with your doctor or naturopathic physician. Despite this, I still find that many people suffer with SIBO without knowing they have it, and many doctors fail to diagnose it. This may be due to our modern lifestyle, or it could be that more people are learning about the condition and asking their doctors to test them for it. Over the past few years, the number of people being diagnosed with SIBO seems to be on the rise. This week, we’ll look at “small intestinal bacterial overgrowth” – commonly referred to as “SIBO” – one of the leading causes of IBS and digestive problems.
Last time in this series on digestive health, we looked at Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).