Hello! I work as a doctor for 21 years. My name is George O. Sapego. This article will discuss the bacterial overgrowth in the gut.
We constantly carry with them 2 kg microbes. It's not a joke. In the colon, bacteria are always solid debris.
When people speak of bacterial overgrowth, they mean the small intestine. There may move bacteria from the colon. From this there are a variety of symptoms, and in the worst case, even malabsorption. You can read about on the links below in my articles malabsorption of food.
In the stomach and in the beginning of the small intestine is almost no bacteria. This is due to acid from the stomach and powerful contractions of the intestine, which constantly promotes all the exit.
At the very end of the small intestine from the stomach there are microbes (they breathe oxygen) and microbes of the large intestine (they do without oxygen).
The war on germs
Our body is quite successfully inhibits the overgrowth of microbes:
- The acid in the stomach kills most of the bacteria.
- In the small intestine, digestive enzymes digest them.
- At the point where the small intestine passes into the large, it is a special valve / damper, which does not allow colon contents to fall into thin.
- The immune system produces special secretory immunoglobulins (antibodies). Among all the antibodies in the body of their 75%. Some of these immunoglobulins float in blood, and the part allocated to the mucous membranes, including the gastrointestinal tract. There, these antibodies envelop the bacteria that do not allow them to attach to the wall of the intestine and neutralizes various bacterial toxins.
Sometimes these protective mechanisms are failing, and microbes go on a rise.
From this problem starts.
Malabsorption of fat
Microbes spoiling bile acids and fat sucked worse.
Spoiled bile acids are corrosive and damage the intestinal wall. From this fat is absorbed worse.
Spoiled bile acids are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and do not have time to participate in the digestion of fat.
Violation of carbohydrate intake
The microbes themselves will eat carbohydrates. In this case, they will produce a lot of gas. Get bloating.
Malabsorption of protein
The same story. all microbes spoil and eat themselves.
hepatic encephalopathy
If a person has liver problems, then it becomes very sensitive to toxins that the liver normally inactivates. Microbes in the gut can produce a lot of ammonia with which the diseased liver can not cope. Excess ammonia bad acts onto the head.
steatosis
Microbes in the gut trigger the development of fatty liver. About this I have a separate article. You can look at the link below.
symptoms
Most often, people worry about bloating, abdominal discomfort and diarrhea.
Diagnosis
For the diagnosis is often used breath test. Such as lactulose.
We tried lactulose? It is a laxative. Our body can not digest lactulose and germs love it. They digested lactulose to form hydrogen and methane. Therefore, from lactulose often inflates the abdomen.
During human breath test given lactulose and then check the concentration of gases in exhaled air. If the bacteria in the small intestine much the gases appear early and in large numbers.
If you think that you are not okay with the stomach, then refer to the gastroenterologist, and you quickly examine this matter. Independently deliver a diagnosis will not work.
If you liked this article, then put the Huskies and subscribe to my channel. Read my articles on related topics:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
steatosis
Why is poorly absorbed food
As in the gut turns soap
