What is bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine?

by Sibolab
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth

What is bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine?

In around two-thirds of those affected by irritable bowel syndrome, the cause is bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine, or SIBO for short.

Here you can learn more about the causes, symptoms and treatment of bacterial overgrowth:


If you suffer from SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), bacteria from your large intestine have migrated to your small intestine and are making themselves at home there. While the large intestine teems with various bacteria, the small intestine is normally sparsely populated with intestinal bacteria. These colonized intestinal bacteria cause a lot of disruption. They metabolize carbohydrates prematurely, thereby causing gases (especially hydrogen and methane) that cannot escape. These gases may also be the cause of your symptoms, such as the often characteristic bloated stomach.


Numerous scientific studies have confirmed that irritable bowel symptoms are in most cases caused by bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.                                         

The most common symptoms of SIBO:

  • abdominal pain
  • bloated stomach
  • flatulence
  • Diarrhea
  • constipation
  • Alternating diarrhea/constipation
  • Belching

Causes of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)

The causes of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth are not yet fully understood. The most common causes of SIBO are food poisoning, long-term stress, and drug therapies, such as prolonged or frequent antibiotic treatments.


Other possible causes include poor nutrition, changes in the intestinal flora and operations with secondary adhesions

in the intestine. Certain diseases such as Crohn's disease or celiac disease, and other chronic inflammations in the small intestine, can also increase the risk of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.                                                             

How can I test for bacterial overgrowth?

You can easily test for bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine with a SIBO breath test at home.


After preparing the diet, you feed the malformed intestinal bacteria a sugar solution (e.g., lactulose). The bacteria then begin prematurely metabolizing the carbohydrates in the small intestine. In doing so, they primarily produce hydrogen and methane. They release these gases into your blood. From there, they enter the air you breathe via your lungs. You collect these gases with the SIBO breath test.


You'll blow into several glass tubes at a specific rhythm, which will later be analyzed in the lab. If the time curve in the results report shows a premature increase in initial hydrogen or methane, or both, it's highly likely you have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).


How do I treat Sibo?

Once you have finally learned more about the condition of your intestines with the Sibo breath test, you can now use your irritable bowel syndrome therapy much more specifically.


SIBO treatment consists of several elements:


Herbal or synthetic antibiotics, certain nutritional supplements and a Sibo diet plan will help you to further reduce the number of malcolmated intestinal bacteria.


You should always discuss which therapy is right for you in the case of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine with a doctor, alternative practitioner or other therapist who is familiar with the treatment of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.


Find out now whether bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine is the cause of your irritable bowel symptoms:


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