Gastroenterologist Lyubov Lavrova explained how SIBO, a syndrome of excessive bacterial growth in the intestines, manifests itself.
Doctor Lavrova reported that people's complaints about an unpleasant feeling of distension in the abdomen after eating can be explained by bloating, which in turn is caused by an excess of bacteria accumulating in the small intestine. This bacterial imbalance is known in medicine as SIBO.
“With small intestinal bacterial overgrowth syndrome, the most common complaint from patients is bloating due to gas formation in the intestines. This is felt as a distension in the abdomen, its enlargement, usually occurring after eating, especially after breakfast,” Lavrova clarified in a conversation with Gazeta.Ru.
The doctor added that the discomfort or pain is concentrated in the places where the intestine bends – on the left and right sides of the torso under the ribs. Such discomfort can increase when you need to bend over. Many people are scared by these symptoms: they think that they are having problems with the liver or pancreatitis. But their pain is a consequence of the stretching of the intestinal walls caused by gases that are actively produced by many bacteria.
Lavrova listed other symptoms that arise due to SIBO:
- Nausea;
- Bad breath;
- Frequent loose stools with an extremely unpleasant odor;
- Change in the color of the stool, which contains undigested pieces of food;
- Gastrocolytic reflex: the need to empty the bowels after each meal;
- Constant monotonous abdominal pain;
- Heartburn;
- Frequent belching;
- Bitter taste in the mouth.
The doctor emphasized that SIBO must be treated, so you need to contact a specialist with its symptoms. When it develops, the digestive tract stops digesting food and absorbing nutrients normally.
Earlier, the MedikForum.ru portal wrote that bowel disorder is one of the first signals of the development of bowel cancer.
Important! Information is provided for reference purposes. Ask a specialist about contraindications and side effects and do not self-medicate under any circumstances. At the first signs of illness, consult a doctor.
Lyubov Lavrova Health gastroenterologist