Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and SIBO Symptoms
It has been reported that digestive issues such as abdominal bloating and gas experienced after meals may be due to SIBO.
Prof. Dr. Elif Öztürk made important statements regarding SIBO, defined as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, which manifests with symptoms such as abdominal bloating and gas that appear after meals.
What is SIBO and Its Prevalence
Nowadays, problems such as abdominal bloating and gas after eating are often dismissed as something you ate didn't agree with you or is just stress. However, at the root of this issue may lie small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, referred to in the medical literature as SIBO.
While SIBO is detected in 34 percent of individuals with digestive complaints, this rate rises up to 52 percent in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.
What Are the Symptoms
As bacteria in the small intestine exceed normal values and ferment foods, methane, hydrogen, and in some cases hydrogen sulfide gases can form.
Bloating and gas, which lead to a balloon-like appearance in the abdomen after meals, are among the most typical symptoms of SIBO.
Similar Diseases and Confusion
Bloating does not always mean SIBO; many disorders such as inflammatory bowel diseases, lactose intolerance, celiac disease, and irritable bowel syndrome can show similar symptoms.
Similar clinical findings can also emerge in health issues such as dyspepsia, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, pancreatic insufficiency, and gastroesophageal reflux.
Diagnostic Methods and Treatment Approach
Hydrogen and methane breath tests, microbiota analyses, and endoscopic examinations to rule out structural issues play an important role in the diagnostic process.
If the test result supports the diagnosis, antibiotic treatment is applied, and antibiotic treatment alone without a diet has no significance.