There are many different factors that cause you to feel tired. Stress (work or family-related), lack of sleep (obviously), poor diet and exercise, etc. If you experience chronic fatigue that is an indication of some type of health concern. If you have experienced unusual fatigue or gut concerns, you may have heard of SIBO fatigue. Although not uncommon, many gut issues can cause a feeling of weakness and fatigue. While it can be managed well without medications, if prolonged then it is a cause for concern.
But before that, let’s look a more detailed explanation of what SIBO is. Especially how SIBO can cause this feeling of fatigue.
What is SIBO?
For those of you who have not heard of this, you might be asking “what is SIBO fatigue?” SIBO stands for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. This gut infection can cause you to feel tired and drained of energy.
You are probably wondering what can cause SIBO. Again, stress is a major factor in many health concerns, so no surprise if your SIBO is activated by some type of stress. Abdominal surgery complications such as gastric bypass can cause SIBO. Scar tissues that affect the structure around your small intestine is another cause of SIBO. The third cause of SIBO can be linked to Crohn’s disease, diabetes, celiac disease etc. SIBO can also be linked to IBS. Since both deal with digestion and bacteria, SIBO can be responsible for many bowel movements concerns.
There are also several other factors that can cause SIBO leading to SIBO fatigue. This includes antibiotic medications, a diet high in carbohydrates, a low production of stomach acid, poor bowel movements, hypothyroidism and high levels of stress.
If you are interested in learning about managing your diet or keeping track of your carbohydrate, this article can offer some helpful insights.
How does SIBO fatigue happen?
Your small intestine’s role is to absorb nutrients from the food and drinks you consume. It is able to perform this action thanks to the commensal bacteria living in your gut. They assist your gut in absorbing these nutrients that can enter your bloodstream and fuel cell energy.
This overgrowth of bacteria in the gut can lead to incomplete digestion of nutrients. These nutrients are then converted into energy to be used by your cells. This energy is the driving force for your body to function. So, if there is an issue with your small intestine then this negatively impacts your energy level. And we all can conclude that low energy levels equal a feeling of tiredness or fatigue. Some research has found that SIBO is commonly linked to a B12 deficiency (R).
There are many different factors that can lead to chronic fatigue. Fatigue is defined as a constant feeling or tiredness or weakness. This can be mental, physical or a combination of both. Many times, this feeling is brought upon a lack of energy. A lack of energy results from poor diet choices. This is why it is important to maintain a healthy diet, to not only keep you energized but also healthy.
SIBO fatigue symptoms
The symptoms of SIBO fatigue may vary between people depending on the severity of the condition. Here are some common symptoms listed below you might experience:
- Bloating/ excess gas
- Abdominal pain
- Brain fog
- Weakness
- Diarrhea
- Muscle aches
- Headaches
Brain fogginess is a very common symptom associated with SIBO. Brain fog can be alarming as it involves trouble with memory, poor concentration and lack of focus. Since B12 plays an important role for a healthy brain, B12 deficiency can cause brain fog. And since B12 deficiency is linked to SIBO, brain fog is seen as a likely symptom. You can learn more about how to also eliminate brain fog if it’s not linked to SIBO by clicking here,
What is the gut?
The gastrointestinal tract is responsible for food breakdown. A group of organs in your body that are responsible for the digestion and absorption of nutrients. These organs include the mouth, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, colon, and rectum. Together these organs work to help with the breakdown, extraction, absorption and expelling of waste.
When talking about your gut health, however, we are focusing on the intestines and stomach, where the final steps of digestion and absorption take place. Your gut is also where you harbor the “good” bacteria. They work with your organs to help with the digestion of food. The bacterial environment of the gut is also known as the microflora. While many humans share a similar microflora, the percentage of the bacterial species varies. This is the reason why some of us can digest heavier foods more efficiently than others.
Genetics plays a major role in the diversity of your gut bacteria. One thing is for certain though, the greater the microorganism diversity, the healthier the gut is. While you can’t do anything about your genetics, your diet can help you increase this diversity. We will touch a bit on this below, but first, let’s see how gut bacteria can influence SIBO fatigue.
The role of gut bacteria in SIBO fatigue
Our gut is made up of many types of bacteria. These bacteria work to help your body digest the food and supply energy for the cells. Having a healthy gut is important for your overall well-being. Your gut health can also influence fatigue and be a cause for underlying health concerns. If you have a concern or are looking for ways to restore gut health, this is a great article to read.
So, your gut is where the commensal bacteria reside. While relatively harmless, an overgrowth of bacteria can be cause for concern. This overgrowth can lead to incomplete digestion of nutrients. Since nutrients are broken down for energy, an incomplete absorption can limit energy availability. This is what leads to the feeling of tiredness and fatigue.
Healthy diet for SIBO
Maintaining a healthy diet plays an important role in reducing your risk of health concerns. There is nothing more important that treating and taking care of your body. Food is one of the most important and crucial methods in handling our health.
If have recently gotten ill or had surgery, you probably were prescribed antibiotics. Antibiotics are used to fight off bacterial infections by killing the bacteria. However, this can be an issue. Since your gut bacteria harbors “good” bacteria, it is important that you maintain your gut flora. How can you ensure this? Well, that’s where probiotics come into play. Make sure you incorporate probiotic foods such as yogurt and other fermented foods in your diet. In this way, you don’t allow for the “bad” bacteria to overgrow and mess with a healthy gut.
Another important addition is reducing your intake of highly processed foods. Rather reach for foods that can help to promote healthy digestion. By maintaining a healthy diet and exercise you can promote a healthy gut. A healthy gut can reduce your risks of other diseases.
FODMAP
If you have experienced some type of gut concern, FODMAP is something you are familiar with. FODMAP refers to fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols, found in wheat and beans. These are carbohydrates that are hard for many to digest. Instead, these food types can cause bloating, diarrhea and constipation. A lot of people suffer from this, so it is advised to follow a low FODMAP diet, especially if you have trouble with digestion. Foods that contain fructose and lactose can be harder for some to digest.
Try to be more aware of the types of food you consume and how your body reacts to it. If you notice some discomfort, talk to your trusted physician or a nutritionist to help you determine a diet that works for you.
It might be useful to keep track of your diet through the use of a health app, like the CareClinic app. The CareClinic app has many features like a nutrition tracker, medication reminder, and access to Care Plans. There is also a feature that allows you to connect to a physician, in case you have some questions or concerns. Let’s look at an example of how you can incorporate CareClinic’s feature to help you out below.
Paleo diet
The paleo diet refers to the hunter-gatherer type lifestyle of our ancestors. This includes the consumption of meats, eggs, fruits and vegetables. There is no consumption of wheats and grains in this diet. While this may seem concerning as the lack of fiber, it can be modified. Keeping that in mind the paleo diet in itself is hard for people, so if you suffer from SIBO or a gut concern, talk to a physician first.
When it comes to concerns of the gut, you want to select foods that will help your gut microflora flourish. You can see what an important role bacteria plays in our digestion. Always opt for foods that can soothe your gut and improve its function.
Above are examples of a few types of diets that can help you. However, you would always know what’s best. Take control of your diet and invest in the time to take care of yourself.
Nutrition tracker for SIBO fatigue
Bree has been noticing that as of late, her energy has been drained. After work, she comes home and has no energy to cook. She always opts for take-out or makes instant noodles for her dinner. Bree feels even more tired after eating but pushes through to get through her evening. She has been trying to make a conscious effort to eat better when at work but still notices that something is missing.
Bree decides that she needs a bit of a push and downloads the CareClinic app to utilize the nutrition feature. In this feature she can track what she eats for her meals, including any snacks. She is also able to record the nutrition facts such as carbohydrates and vitamins. In this way she can examine what foods might be making her feel weak and which ones keep her energized.
Bree has noticed that during the weekends and for weekday dinners, she consumes a lot of processed foods. She uses these logs to help her plan out healthier meals and snack ideas to prevent overconsumption of these types of foods.
Bree has also started taking some B12 supplements. As a vegetarian, she finds that she is has a deficiency, as reported from her blood tests. She makes sure to add this as a reminder in the medicine reminder feature. Bree has found that the CareClinic app offers many features that make it easy for her to navigate and customize.
SIBO leads to chronic fatigue
Looking back, it is clear that a healthy diet promotes a healthy digestive tract. By following a diet filled with good nutrients and fiber, your digestion system is happy. A happy digestive system means you can rest well.
However, what happens if you continue to consume unhealthy foods? The answer is simple, chronic fatigue. Chronic fatigue is a disorder characterized by a feeling of fatigue over an extended period of time. While it is hard to pinpoint what exactly causes chronic fatigue, there are many health complications that can arise. It can affect your focus and concentration; making it hard to complete daily tasks. Joint and muscle pain, headaches and other types of mental and physical exhaustion can arise. Proper rest is important to keep your immunity strong as well.
Since you need rest and energy to keep your cells performing well, fatigue can hinder this. SIBO can restrict your cells from performing their function due to loss of energy. If you find that you are not able to digest well and suffer fatigue, consult your physician. If SIBO is the cause of your fatigue, treating it as soon as possible will be easy and beneficial.
Due the uncertainty behind chronic fatigue, there are many underlying factors that can cause it. Stress, tension, and health disorders are examples of some common factors. If you feel like something more is affecting your fatigue, try to monitor your symptoms first.
CareClinic: a health app
As mentioned, health apps are great tools to utilize when it comes to taking control of your health. The CareClinic app is versatile and customizable, making it a platform truly meant for anyone. It is easy to navigate and offers you different features that cater to your health goals.
One of the features mentioned above was the nutrition tracker. In this feature, you can record your meals and snacks. Incorporate the nutrient facts as well to ensure you are getting the right nutrients. Add remarks in the note section to observe how you feel after the meal.
Another feature is the medicine reminder. This allows you to set the frequency of the alert. Use it to remind you to take your supplements as well. You can include details such as dose quantity, dose form, even a refill reminder. There is also a notes section so you can include details such as take with food.
If you are concerned that you have SIBO, try tracking your symptoms with the symptom tracker. You can include information such as the severity of your symptoms. In this way you can better understand your body and rely on information accordingly.
As mentioned, there are Care Plans available to guide you to a healthy lifestyle. Depending on your health concern, you have access to physician-approved guidelines. Once you have updated your Care Plan, be sure to post it. This will allow you to monitor your reports throughout the week.
A great feature is the reports section. When you save and record all your information, you can easily look back at the logs and analyze the trends. Keeping track of finding what factors influence your symptoms, makes it easier for you to manage. This is also convenient for you to share with your doctor. In this way, you can find effective treatments.
Final remarks
There is a lot of defining factors that can cause chronic fatigue. SIBO is seen to be one of the factors. Simple things such as improving your diet, and incorporating exercise can be seen to help manage this. There are a variety of technologies and information sources available for you to browse through.
CareClinic is one of the best apps available on the market. Whether you are trying to manage a health concern or want to start a healthy lifestyle, health apps are useful. It is always good be aware of your body’s condition and health.
Chronic fatigue is hard to pinpoint the exact cause of. Monitoring symptoms and records can help you manage the varying factors. If you ever feel have any questions or concerns, this app connects you to a physician. Whether you concern is about the app of a specific Care Plan, these physician assistants are available for you to connect with. You are also able to create your own Care Plan. If you have a specific treatment you want to incorporate, you have the accessibility to do so in this app.
Integrating a newer and healthier lifestyle can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be hard. Take some of the pressure off by utilizing a health app to help you manage.
