SIBO stands for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, which is fairly self-explanatory. There is an overgrowth of (too much) bacteria in your small intestine.
You can get tested for SIBO, depending on where you live and who you see, by drinking a liquid that causes fermentation in the gut. You then breathe into a bag and the composition of this gas indicates the bacteria residing in your gut. Methane usually aligns with constipation symptoms, and hydrogen aligns with diarrhea symptoms.
IBS stands for irritable bowel syndrome, which is what I was diagnosed with two years ago. IBS is usually diagnosed to someone with abdominal plan and/or bloating, coupled with constipation (IBS-C), diarrhea (IBS-D), or a combination of the two (IBS-M, M standing for "mixed"). Many people with SIBO are diagnosed with IBS because the testing isn't available.
To keep it very simple, the key cause, according to the existing state of the literature, of this constipation and diarrhea is gut dysbiosis (an imbalance of bacteria), with additional factors including fibre intake, fluid consumption, thyroid function, and more.
Source: Constipation / Diarrhea
The diagnosis of digestive issues is cloudy at best, with the approach taken by the traditional medical system being equally cloudy - as someone that's coached hundreds of people with digestive issues, alongside my own experience and research.
I picture the approach (often) taken by the traditional medical system as a game of whack-a-mole, smacking down your symptoms with medication. For example, I was given a repeat prescription of laxatives for life.
So, how do you manage these issues? (Not medical advice, a given based on what I've laid out here): Get to the root cause of the issue, the primary being an imbalance of bacteria in the gut.
This is the reason I started my coaching platform live., to provide the natural holistic lifestyle support to help find a state of balance - with our four key pillars of nutrition, exercise, lifestyle, and mindset.