Treatment For Bacterial Overgrowth
Do you suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms like abdominal pain or diarrhea? You may have bacterial overgrowth in your small intestine. This condition is not normal, here we explain what the treatment is and the most typical mistakes that are made.
Bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine
The intestinal bacterial overgrowth or bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine (SIBO), is a heterogeneous syndrome produced by an excessive number or an alteration in the type of bacteria present in the small intestine.
The gastrointestinal symptoms that it can produce are diverse and nonspecific, such as:
- Distension
- Flatulence
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Dyspepsia (malaise after meals)
- Weightloss
What makes this syndrome so unique is that, unlike the large intestine, the small intestine should not have a large number of bacteria. It is assumed that the few bacteria that are housed in it, are there from our birth, living in symbiosis with our intestine.
Little by little we are getting to know this relationship better, and understanding that it is vital to achieve a normal digestive process, a good activity of the immune system and an optimal development of our intestine.
The problem comes when these bacteria overgrow. One of the reasons for this bacterial overgrowth may be the excessive intake of foods rich in FODMAPs.
To maintain a good ecosystem of microorganisms throughout the digestive tract, and thus avoid bacterial overgrowth, the human body uses antibiotic mechanisms such as:
- Hydrochloric acid from the stomach
- The production of bile and digestive enzymes (which are also highly antibiotic)
- Changes in pH
- Oxygenation of the intestine
How is it diagnosed?
A good complementary diagnostic test is the expired gas test . This test is based on the fact that certain gases, such as hydrogen or human methane, are produced by the fermentation of carbohydrates by intestinal bacteria. If the exhalation of these gases occurs too quickly, we can speak of a bacterial overgrowth.
Treatment of bacterial overgrowth
Conventional treatment includes identification of the conditions causing the symptoms and treatment with antibiotics. However, we cannot forget a fundamental part: controlling our diet. To do this, it is convenient:
- Avoid antinutrients that boycott digestive function.
- Decrease in the first phase the consumption of foods rich in FODMAP.
- Provide antimicrobial foods: oregano, thyme, Lapacho tea, coconut fat, among others.
- Recover the acidity of the stomach.
- Recover the function of the bile and the exocrine pancreas through the consumption of nutritional supplements based on digestive enzymes.
Typical errors in treatment
1. Make a single diagnosis
If you suffer from abdominal bloating and steatorrhea (fat in the stool), therapists often diagnose you have bacterial overgrowth. But these same symptoms can be caused by:
- Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
- A yeast overgrowth.
- A parasite infection.
- A hypochlorhydria.
Therefore, the important thing is to make a good diagnosis, based not only on the symptoms, but on all those processes that have led you to suffer from the clinical picture that you present.
2. Treating with antibiotics too long
Using antibiotic treatments for too long, even if they are natural, can affect symbiotic bacteria, harming the diversity of flora and making it difficult for the person to live without treatment, since it is the very variety of species of our microbiota that regulates overgrowth .
3. Dieting that is too restrictive for too long
In the first phase, it is convenient to carry out a FODMAP diet, since it will help us control overgrowth. But we must remember that fiber is the food of all the bacteria in our body, they are our prebiotics. Restricting them for too long can also affect the diversity of the flora.
4. Terminate treatment when symptoms disappear
Once the bacterial overgrowth has been solved, we must focus on recovering the control mechanisms that have led to this overgrowth. We will terminate the treatment when: hypochlorhydria, pancreatic insufficiency or the need for antacids are solved, and not only when the symptoms have disappeared.
summarizing
Treatment of bacterial overgrowth is done, first of all, by reducing excessive intake of foods rich in FODMAPs. In addition, it can include antibiotics and other therapeutic options. In any case, its success depends largely on a good diagnosis by the doctor.
