Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
Small intestinal bacertial growth or Small bowel bacterial growth is a medical condition in which there is abnormal growth of bacteria in the small intestine leading to severe pain or diarrhoea. A certain amount of bacteria in the gut is common and is also an important part of digestion. However if there is excessive bacteria, it can lead to complications
What are the Symptoms?
- Abdominal pain, particularly after meals
- Bloating
- Belly cramps
- Indigestion
- Constipation
- Diarrhoea
- Gas
- Weight loss
What are the Causes?
Small intestinal bacertial growth can occur if the patient has:
- Structural abnormalities in the small intestine
- pH changes in the small intestine
- Improper functioning of the immune system
- Poor muscular activity in small intestine
- Certain Medical Conditions-
- Viral Gastroenteritis
- Celiac Disease
- Crohn’s disease
- Nerve damage
- Cirrhosis
- Portal Hypertension
- Irritable Bowel syndrome
How is it Diagnosed?
Your doctor will first check for symptoms & medical history and recommend blood tests, stool tests & a breath test.
A breath test is a non invasive test to identify the release of hydrogen & methane gases.
What are the Risk Factor?
- Crohn’s disease
- Diabetes
- HIV
- Parkinson’s disease
- Hypothyroidism
How is it Treated?
Treatment for Small bowel bacterial growth involves a combination of medications & dietary changes.
To get the bacteria under control, the doctor would recommend antibiotics. However, antibiotics cannot address the underlying cause of the problem. Therefore, your doctor would also recommend treatment for the medical condition that led to small intestine bacterial growth.
Dietary changes involve eating small & frequent meals & avoiding gluten products