SIBO (or Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) is a pathology described several decades ago that has recently attracted the attention of the medical community and the general population, receiving a lot of publicity on social media.<\/p>\n
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It’s caused by an excessive increase in bacteria in the small intestine, and factors that may contribute to its appearance include alterations in intestinal motility, anatomical abnormalities such as previous surgeries of the gastrointestinal tract, excessive use of antibiotics and certain gastrointestinal diseases.<\/p>\n
In terms of the symptoms<\/strong> that have been classically attributed to SIBO, they can be diverse and non-specific, including constipation, abdominal bloating, gas and flatulence, nausea or diarrhoea, the latter being the most associated symptom. Nutritional deficiencies have been observed in more severe and rare cases.<\/p>\n Diagnosis<\/strong> is usually based on breath tests that measure the production of hydrogen and methane after the ingestion of a certain substrate, such as lactulose or glucose. An increase in these gases may suggest the presence of bacterial overgrowth.<\/p>\n However, the most reliable test is jejunal aspiration and subsequent cultivation, which is usually not done because it\u2019s expensive. The test requires an endoscopy, so this method is not used in clinical practice.<\/p>\n Following diagnosis, the most widely used treatment<\/strong> to date is antibiotics, particularly rifaximin. Certain diets have also shown some improvement in symptoms, although with little scientific evidence.<\/p>\n