And experts can often tell the two disorders apart by how they manifest in the clinic.
Bacteria can also creep up into the small intestine from the large intestine.
Cleveland Clinicsays certain medications, as well as your age and lifestyle, can contribute to SIBO.
They include:
Treatment Options for SIBO
Catching SIBO early is vital.
AntibioticsThe main treatment available for SIBO isantibiotics.
While antibiotics are effective in killing bacteria, they can also wipe out gut-friendly bacteria.
Theres also the risk that people can develop a resistance to them.
Theclinical guidelines published in theAmerican Journal of Gasteroenterologyin February 2020also include rifaximin as a research-supported approach to treating SIBO.
And astudy published inEvidence-Based Practicein November 2021showed that rifaximin was effective in treating SIBO in patients with IBS.
Many people with SIBO will relapse.
If your SIBO does not improve after two rounds of antibiotics, your doctor might consider a different diagnosis.
But Hershman notes the science behindprobiotics and prebioticsis still inconclusive.
The truth of the matter is we dont understand them well enough, she says.
Hershman also recommends that patients treated for SIBO avoid foods high in carbohydrates, fiber, and dairy.
But these foods feed bacteria and can help them overpopulate, so she still recommends her patients avoid them.
That approach has strong scientific support intreating IBS, says Hershman, but less so in SIBO specifically.
If used long-term, it may lead to a further reduction in intestinal biodiversity.
She says a team of specialists at a medical center with an integrative health model can help, too.
These care frameworks incorporate gastroenterologists with registered dietitians and GI psychologists who treat all the components of SIBO.
But there have not yet been many large clinical trials to confirm this.
Balancing Your Microbiome Could Help
Preventing SIBO is really difficult.
But there are some key steps you’re able to take to help balance your gut microbiome.
Ira Daniel Breite, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist.
Working in city hospitals helped him become resourceful and taught him how to interact with people from different backgrounds.
IBS
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