Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) develops when something upsets the bacterial balance in your gastrointestinal system. If you suffer from SIBO symptoms, visit one of Newtown Gastroenterology’s locations in New York City. The offices in Elmhurst and Flushing in Queens, Sunset Park in Brooklyn, and Chinatown in Manhattan, use straightforward hydrogen breath testing to assess your condition. Call your nearest Newtown Gastroenterology office to arrange an appointment or schedule a SIBO consultation by completing the online booking form.
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a condition where bacteria growth increases in the small intestine. Some bacteria are essential for good gut health, but with SIBO, the wrong bacteria multiply. SIBO can cause unpleasant symptoms such as:
• Bloating
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Feeling uncomfortably full
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Unintended weight loss
• Malnutrition
SIBO can also affect how well your body absorbs nutrients like fat, protein, and carbohydrates. You could suffer from vitamin deficiencies that lead to conditions like osteoporosis (weak bones). Kidney stones can also develop over the long term.
SIBO can affect anyone, but certain things increase your risk, including:
• Abdominal surgery complications
• Small intestine structural abnormalities
• Small intestine injuries
• Bariatric (weight loss) surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Diverticulitis
• Fistulas
• Celiac disease
• Crohn’s disease
• Diabetes
• Scleroderma
• Radiation enteritis (small intestinal inflammation)
SIBO diagnosis begins with a medical history and symptom review followed by a physical exam. The Newtown Gastroenterology team also performs in-office hydrogen breath testing for SIBO. Breath testing measures how much hydrogen or methane is in your breath after drinking a glucose and water mixture. Rapidly rising exhaled hydrogen or methane levels suggest bacterial overgrowth in your small intestine. Another SIBO test is small intestine aspirate and fluid culture.
This requires an upper endoscopy, where your provider passes a long, flexible tube down your throat, through your stomach, to the small intestine. They collect an intestinal fluid sample that goes for lab testing. Other lab tests might also be useful. A blood test can check for vitamin deficiencies, and a stool sample test can identify poor fat absorption. Imaging procedures like X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs identify structural abnormalities in your intestine.
Common SIBO treatments include antibiotic therapy to eliminate bacterial overgrowth and dietary changes to correct nutritional deficiencies. Your gastroenterologist might recommend dietary supplements or suggest you follow a lactose-free diet to prevent small intestinal damage. Treating the underlying cause of SIBO is also vital to prevent its return. For example, you might need surgery to sort out postoperative complications or repair fistulas.
Call Newtown Gastroenterology to learn more about small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and discover if you have it. You can also schedule a consultation by completing the online booking form.
