Bacterial or yeast overgrowth
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth SIBO or Small Intestinal Fungal Yeast Overgrowth SIFO, is what causes 80% of IBS conditions and most skin conditions! Most GPs dont know this! I am working on spreading the word.
SIBO or SIFO is characterised by excessive amounts of bacteria or fungi in the small intestine. These may not necessarily be ‘bad’ microbes; they might just be colonising in the wrong area and you may experience symptoms such as feeling too full for a long time, feeling like you don’t digest well, feeling like food is stuck in your intestines at night or after a big meal out, feeling like balloons are popping in your gut, abdominal distention, constipation, bloating, vomiting and diarrhoea, and weight loss or insomnia or skin issues like acne, rosacea and / or mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
SIBO is generally caused by a lack of muscular activity in and around the small intestine, meaning that bacteria is not swept away into the colon as it should be, but there are many factors which may contribute significantly to its development, including low stomach acid, antibiotic use, stress, short bowel syndrome, bowel resection, and dietary factors. SIBO is also associated with various digestive or even muscular conditions, including diverticulitis, and intestinal permeability. I see a lot of patients with skin conditions who don’t report digestive conditions but they indeed have Low stomach acid AND SIBO or SIFO. 9 out of 10 patients I also see have STRESS or mental health issues as well as digestive issues. This is due to the brain-gut connection and the fact that your gut perceives chronic stress so well. We must listen to our gut!
It’s not always easy to identify which types of bacteria are implicated in SIBO; the most reliable tests are breath tests. These can give an indication of whether the overgrowth consists of largely methane or hydrogen-producing bacteria.
Those with predominantly hydrogen-producing bacteria typically suffer from diarrhoea or fullness and those with predominantly methane-producing bacteria may experience constipation or flatulence and indigestion symptoms. This is sometimes referred to as ‘SIBO-D’ and ‘SIBO-C’. A high hydrogen level can also indicate lactose intolerance, it is important to determine the underlying cause of your symptoms. Gluten? Dairy? Fodmaps? Stress? Lifestyle?
As well as addressing the bacterial or fungal imbalance, it is even more important to address the underlying cause of the problem, such as low HCL production(link to how to test your stomach acid), sluggish liver, faulty motor migration complex, chronic stress etc. I help you do this link to book appointment here
