Awareness of this as a gut related problem with gut related motility problems is becoming increasingly evident and this is due to an imbalance between the “good” bacteria (acidophilus and lactobacillus among others) versus the “bad” bacteria (Clostridium species, gram negative bacteria) and a dysequilibrium can occur after such things as bad gut infections. It is clear that repopulating the gut with the good bacteria using products which are probiotics can potentially promote good gut function and it is often a good adjunct to normal treatment of gut problems.
Bacterial overgrowth can often occur if somebody has had previous surgery and there was a stagnant loop of small bowel left. One way to diagnose this is by a breath test called a Lactulose or glucose breath test which is a non-invasive way of making this diagnosis.
In certain cases, antibiotics can play a role in the treatment of this condition.