Testing for SIBO

SIBO, or Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth, is an illness that causes great discomfort in the abdominal area from the release of gasses caused by “bad” bacteria in the gut. Although diagnosing SIBO is still not quite as accurate as doctors would like, a new test has been developed that tests for three gasses in the gut, instead of the two gasses that a SIBO breath test would normally test for. These gasses – hydrogen, methane, and hydrogen sulfide – are key indicators that a patient may be suffering from SIBO. By testing for three gasses instead of two, this test can give an even more accurate result for a doctor to use as a guideline for treatment.

This breath test is essential to getting a proper diagnosis in patients who suffer from symptoms such as bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain. Because these symptoms are common in many different gut-related illnesses, completing a SIBO breath test can ensure that a misdiagnosis does not happen. Without it, a doctor may treat a patient for an illness like IBS instead of treating the underlying cause of discomfort.

The breath test for SIBO is incredibly easy, with no blood drawing or needles of any kind involved. A patient must simply follow the food guidelines and breath tube instructions, then ship it off to the manufacturer, where the breathing tubes will be analyzed for the presence of any of the three gasses that cause SIBO. Once those are discovered, treatment can begin to rid the gut of those bad bacteria, which will get the patient on track to feeling better.