Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth
The condition in which there is increase bacterial growth in the intestine occurred and these bacteria are not commonly present in intestine. It is also known as blind loop syndrome. It is occurred when there is slow movement of food in intestine give the good environment for bacterial growth.
Symptoms
Following are the signs and symptoms of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth:
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Loss of appetite
- Malnutrition
- Feeling of fullness
- Weight loss
Causes
Causes of SIBO includes:
- Crohn’s disease
- Scleroderma
- Radiation enteritis
- Peptic ulcer
- Intestinal adhesion
- Complications of abdominal surgery
Diagnosis
After taking history and conducting physical examination your doctor might recommend the following tests:
- Culture test of aspirated fluid from abdomen to check the bacterial infection
- Breath test to check the bacterial growth
- Blood test to check the complete blood count
Treatment
Treatment options include:
- Nutritional support to prevent the deficiencies
- Antibiotic therapy to treat the bacterial overgrowth
- Lactose free diet to prevent the bloating
- Taking vitamin B-12 supplements to prevent megaloblastic anemia