Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

Overview

It is normal to have a small amount of bacteria in your small intestine. However, when the amount of bacteria increases beyond the normal limits, Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth (SIBO) can be present. When there is more bacteria in the small intestine, you can experience unintentional weight loss, nutritional deficiencies and osteoporosis. 

Diagnosis

SIBO is diagnosed using breath tests to measure methane and hydrogen breathed out after eating. Hoag is the first center on the West Coast to offer our patients FoodMarble breath testing for monitoring SIBO.

SIBO can also be diagnosed by taking a sample from the small intestine to test for bacteria growth.

With Hoag, there is hope to get back to living your normal life.