Intestinal Motility | SIBO Endo-Test & SmartPill Wireless Motility Capsule | UC San Diego Health

Bacterial and Yeast/Fungal Overgrowth Test

Overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine is known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). It can cause symptoms such as:

*SIBO can be associated with certain vitamin deficiencies and autoimmune conditions.

SmartPill Wireless Motility Capsule where you swallow high tech sensor that passes through the GI measuring


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Intestinal Motility | UC San Diego Health

The Intestines
From the stomach, food passes to the small and large intestines. The small intestine is approximately 20 feet long, which makes it the longest part of the digestive system. Here, most of the nutrients and minerals from food are absorbed into the body.

The large intestine, also known as the colon, is responsible for absorbing water from undigested food. Food is transported through the large intestine to the rectum, where it is expelled from the body.

Signs of a Motility Disorder
You may have a motility disorder in your intestines if you experience:

Severe constipation
Recurrent vomiting
Bloating
Diarrhea
Nausea
Weight loss

 

Types of Intestinal Motility Disorders
There are several types of motility disorders that can occur in the intestines:

Intestinal pseudo-obstruction  
Colonic inertia
Scleroderma  
Irritable bowel syndrome  
Intestinal amyloidosis
Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Short bowel syndrome  
Lactose intolerance
Fructose intolerance
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
Small intestinal fungal overgrowth
Megacolon 

 
Intestinal Motility Procedures
The small intestine can be a challenging area of the body to see for clear diagnosis. New technology is changing the course of intestinal diagnoses, offering advanced measuring capability of the rate of gut transit time and muscle contractions through the small bowel.

To diagnose an intestinal motility disorder, our team might perform one or several of the following procedures:

Bacterial and Yeast/Fungal Overgrowth Test
Overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine is known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). It can cause symptoms such as:
Fatigue
Sudden onset of bloating
Diarrhea
Excessive flatulence
Nausea

Since symptoms of SIBO overlap with other common digestive conditions such as gastroparesis and IBS, it's important to get a definitive diagnosis. SIBO can be associated with certain vitamin deficiencies and autoimmune conditions.

To check for SIBO, liquid is collected from your small intestine using a special tube that's inserted endoscopically into your duodenum (first part of your small intestine). This liquid is examined for excessive amounts of bacteria and fungus.

SmartPill Wireless Motility Capsule
The SmartPill wireless motility capsule is a pill-sized sensor that is swallowed.

It measures:

Temperature
pH
Pressure
How quickly the stomach empties
How quickly the small intestine and colon empty

 

The capsule transmits these measurements to a receiver you carry with you for five days. The test records and helps diagnose conditions including intestinal pseudo-obstruction, gastroparesis, colonic inertia, rapid gastric emptying and constipation.