SIBO BREATH TEST

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) occurs when bacteria appear in the normally more sterile small intestine and begin to colonize. Overgrowth in the large intestine (LIBO) is also identified with this test.

This test measures the amount of hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4) gasses in the breath, identifying how much is produced in the digestive system primarily only by the bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates (sugars, starches or vegetable fibers). The generation of H2 and/or CH4 will result in the absorption of some of these gases into the blood stream from the site of their production, and they will appear in the expired air. If either of the gases appear in the expired air, it is usually a signal that carbohydrates or carbohydrate fragments have been exposed to bacteria, permitting such fermentation to take place and that SIBO can be suspected.

Studies have indicated that potentially up to 80% of patients with IBS may in fact have SIBO which this Hydrogen /Methane breath test can easily and non-invasively help determine.