The role of the microbiome in intestinal complaints
Many people suffer from recurring abdominal complaints without a clear cause. It often turns out that the balance of bacteria in the intestines is disturbed. Such an imbalance can lead to complaints such as abdominal pain, bloating or fluctuating bowel movements, but also to chronic conditions such as IBS, IBD or ulcerative colitis.
Doctor Schreuder, MDL doctor, explains how microbiome can be related to gastrointestinal and liver issues.
Chronic diarrhoea
Thin, unformed stools that cannot be held in can occur suddenly (acute) but can also be a long-term complaint or condition (chronic). Research shows that by adjusting the microbiome with probiotics, the symptoms of diarrhea can be reduced.
Ulcerative Colitis
A chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane of the colon. In this condition, there is something drastically wrong in the interaction between the immune system and the microbiome, and the composition of the microbiome affects this. Adjusting this by probiotics or poo transplantation seems to improve the symptoms.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
The collective name for two intestinal disorders: Crohn's disease (chronic inflammation in the entire digestive tract) and ulcerative colitis (inflammation of the colon)
In these conditions, there is something drastically wrong in the interaction between the immune system and the microbiome, and the composition of the microbiome affects this. Adjusting this by probiotics or poo transplantation seems to improve the symptoms.
Irritable bowel (IBS), spastic bowel
10 to 15% of Dutch people have IBS symptoms. Symptoms include abdominal pain, gas and an abnormal stool pattern: constipation, diarrhea or both.
People with irritable bowel often have reduced diversity and changed composition of the microbiome. Irritable bowel often develops after an intestinal infection or after the use of antibiotics.
SIBO
SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) is a condition in which there is an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. This can lead to complaints such as bloating, abdominal pain and fluctuating stools. SIBO has many similarities with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
The treatment of SIBO often looks at nutrition, lifestyle and the balance of bacteria in the digestive system. The diagnosis is made on the basis of complaints and additional examinations. While a stool analysis can provide clues about gut health, a breath test often provides more clarity about the presence of SIBO.
A microbiome analysis can provide additional insights into the composition of the gut microbiome and reveal possible points of attention.
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