Photo: Vie Studio

How do you know if you have too much gut bacteria?

Symptoms Loss of appetite. Abdominal pain. Nausea. Bloating. An uncomfortable feeling of fullness after eating. Diarrhea. Unintentional weight loss. Malnutrition.

mayoclinic.org - Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) - Symptoms and causes

Is eating a spoonful of peanut butter healthy?

Peanut butter is loaded with so many good, health-promoting nutrients, including vitamin E, magnesium, iron, selenium and vitamin B6. Research...

Last updated Feb 2, 2018

What are the early warning signs of high blood pressure?

Signs of very high blood pressure Severe headache. Nosebleed. Blurry vision. Chest pain. Difficulty breathing. Confusion. Heart palpitations.

Last updated Jul 25, 2021

Common yard weed melts 60lbs of fat?

Made into a potent powdered supplement blended right into water or your favorite beverage to be appreciated as a scrumptious morning smoothy.

Learn More »

Promotion

Overview

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) occurs when there is an abnormal increase in the overall bacterial population in the small intestine — particularly types of bacteria not commonly found in that part of the digestive tract. This condition is sometimes called blind loop syndrome. SIBO commonly results when a circumstance — such as surgery or disease — slows the passage of food and waste products in the digestive tract, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. The excess bacteria often cause diarrhea and may cause weight loss and malnutrition. While SIBO is often a complication of stomach (abdominal) surgery, this condition can also result from structural problems and some diseases. Sometimes surgery is needed to correct the problem, but antibiotics are the most common treatment.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of SIBO often include:

Loss of appetite

Abdominal pain

Nausea

Bloating

An uncomfortable feeling of fullness after eating

Diarrhea

Unintentional weight loss

Malnutrition

When to see a doctor

Bloating, nausea and diarrhea are signs and symptoms of many intestinal problems. See your doctor for a full evaluation — especially if you've had abdominal surgery — if you have:

Persistent diarrhea

Rapid, unintentional weight loss

Abdominal pain lasting more than a few days

If you have severe abdominal pain, seek immediate medical care.

There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. Get the latest health information from Mayo Clinic delivered to your inbox. Subscribe for free and receive your in-depth guide to digestive health, plus the latest on health innovations and news. You can unsubscribe at any time. Email address ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Subscribe Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Thank you for subscribing Your in-depth digestive health guide will be in your inbox shortly. You will also receive emails from Mayo Clinic on the latest health news, research, and care. If you don’t receive our email within 5 minutes, check your SPAM folder, then contact us at newsletters@mayoclinic.com. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry

Causes

Is a 3 day detox long enough?

The perfect duration for a detox diet is 3 to 5 days; just enough time to give the body a break. Although these diets are rich in vitamins,...

Last updated Dec 19, 2020

Is honey good for wrinkles?

In addition to vitamins and minerals, honey is rich in antioxidants to protect the skin from free-radical damage, plus enzyme activity to make the...

Last updated Mar 28, 2021

Tasty breakfast juice melts 59lbs of wobbly fat

A scrumptious morning smoothy based on the diets of among the healthiest, longest-living hamlet in the world.

Learn More »

Promotion

Gastrointestinal tract Open pop-up dialog box Close Gastrointestinal tract Gastrointestinal tract Your digestive tract stretches from your mouth to your anus. It includes the organs necessary to digest food, absorb nutrients and process waste.

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) can be caused by:

Complications of abdominal surgery, including gastric bypass for obesity and gastrectomy to treat peptic ulcers and stomach cancer including gastric bypass for obesity and gastrectomy to treat peptic ulcers and stomach cancer Structural problems in and around your small intestine, including scar tissue (intestinal adhesions) that can wrap around the outside of the small bowel, and bulging pouches of tissue that protrude through the wall of the small intestine (intestinal diverticulosis) including scar tissue (intestinal adhesions) that can wrap around the outside of the small bowel, and bulging pouches of tissue that protrude through the wall of the small intestine (intestinal diverticulosis) Certain medical conditions, including Crohn's disease, radiation enteritis, scleroderma, celiac disease, diabetes or other conditions that can slow movement (motility) of food and waste products through the small intestine

Why small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) develops

The small intestine is the longest section of your digestive tract, measuring about 20 feet (6.1 meters). The small intestine is where food mixes with digestive juices and nutrients are absorbed into your bloodstream. Unlike your large intestine (colon), your small intestine normally has relatively few bacteria due to rapid flow of contents and the presence of bile. But in SIBO , stagnant food in the bypassed small intestine becomes an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. The bacteria may produce toxins as well as interfere with the absorption of nutrients. The breakdown products following bacterial digestion of food can also trigger diarrhea.