Symptoms of Dysbiosis

Symptoms of dysbiosis are very non-specific, which is why it can be left untreated for years. Also, the type of dysbiosis largely dictates the type of symptoms the person will have. For example, fermentation dysbiosis leads to chronic fatigue, loss of concentration and bloating as a result of fermentation of carbohydrates by the luminal bacteria.

Below we will provide a list of conditions which may cause you to suspect that you might have a dysbiosis:

• Weight gain – weight gain could be the result of estrogen reabsorption caused by deconjugation of estrogen by the bacteria within the intestine. Higher levels of estrogen within our body cause it to store fat more readily and to resist its release.

• Bloating - is the result of bacteria fermenting carbohydrates and as a result releasing gas.
• Celiac disease – isn’t really a symptom of dysbiosis, rather it is often its cause. Studies have shown that people with celiac disease often have low levels of secretory IgA (sIgA). Secretory IgA is very important for the protection of our intestine as it can bind allergens and bacteria, which prevents them from being absorbed into the bloodstream. Secretory IgA also plays an important role in maintaining the proper balance of our gut bacteria. This is the reason why low levels of sIgA can lead to gut dysbiosis, food allergies, and infections.
• Chronic fatigue syndrome – usually results due to the lack of carbohydrates within the diet, since the patients with putrefaction dysbiosis tries to avoid them, as they worsen the condition of the patient.

• Acne – many studies have shown that people that suffer from putrefaction dysbiosis caused by small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) are much more likely to develop acne than people with healthy gut bacteria. One of the explanations is that the bacteria leak from the intestine into the bloodstream making the immune system of the person hypersensitive to these bacteria. SIBO also raises the levels of systematic inflammation, which worsens the acne.
• Hives – just like acne, hives also often stems from small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and is often resolved when the patient is being treated for SIBO.

• Food allergies – pathogenic gut bacteria that reside in the small intestine can gradually damage its protective barrier with their toxins. This can cause incompletely digested food to enter our bloodstream. As the result, our immune system treats these compounds as foreign objects and becomes hypersensitive to them, creating a food allergy.
• Arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, eczema – these and other systemic inflammatory diseases are much more likely to develop in patients with abnormal gut flora within their small intestine. As stated previously, SIBO can result in increased levels of systemic inflammation, which in turn can result in various autoimmune reactions.
• Liver dysfunction – people with putrefaction dysbiosis have an abnormal gut bacteria that decarboxylates amino acids creating neurotoxic and vasoactive substances. This puts a great deal of stress on the liver and can eventually lead to liver dysfunction.
• Pancreatic insufficiency – abnormal gut bacteria located within the small intestine creates a wide array of problems for the patient. One of these problems is that the bacterial enzymes destroy pancreatic enzymes, which can cause a condition during which the patient may have a normally functioning pancreas, but the food cannot be properly digested due to the lack of pancreatic enzymes.

As you can see, these symptoms are very diverse, which is why it is hard to suspect dysbiosis right away. However, if you have any of the following conditions, it is wise to determine whether you have dysbiosis or not using a number of available diagnostic tools.