Why do we treat Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth?

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) is incredibly common, and leads to numerous digestive symptoms, as well as contributing heavily to the onset of serious diseases, some of which are listed below.

Diseases associated with SIBO:

– Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
– Heartburn
– Rosacea
– Parkinson’s Disease
– Fibromyalgia
– Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
– Obesity
– Crohn’s Disease
– Rheumatoid Arthritis
– Interstitial Cystitis
– Scleroderma
– Hypothyroidism
– Pancreatitis
– Chronic Prostatitis

So you can see why we so frequently consider SIBO when unravelling the causes of disease with our patients.

Treating SIBO leads to incredible improvement in symptoms, energy, mood, and overall quality of life.

For an interesting review of the effects of harmful gut bacteria, see our previous blog (Gut Bacteria and Naturopathic Medicine) featuring a Ted Talk by Ray Knight discussing just how much illness our gut bacteria can trigger.

What exactly is SIBO?

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth is just what it sounds like… an Overgrowth of Bacteria in the Small Intestine. SIBO is a type of “dysbiosis,” defined as a harmful change in the population of bacteria in the gut that leads to illness, in this case an overgrowth of gas producing bacteria.

Generally, symptoms of SIBO (and IBS) include bloating and gas. Why? Because an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine leads to an accumulation of gases – hydrogen gas, methane gas, and/or hydrogen sulfide gas. These gasses build up in the gut and push outward leading to uncomfortable bloating and eventually a release of gas. Furthermore, the accumulation of these gasses leads to the deterioration in digestive function as a whole, which may trigger symptoms such as constipation, heartburn, or others.

How is SIBO treated?

Fortunately, effective treatment for SIBO is available. Your Naturopathic Doctors at Vive Integrative Health Group are very good at taking patients through the process of eradicating the overgrowth of bacteria that comes with SIBO, and abolishing the aggravating symptoms that come along with it.

Please feel free to ask us for more information!

– Dr. Colin