Suffering From Constipation? This Breath Test Could Change Everything

Constipation is more common in those whose guts contain larger concentrations of archaea, a kind of methane-producing microbe, according to a study published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. This finding may result in more focused therapies for this prevalent gastrointestinal problem. After analysing data from more than 1,500 people, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre discovered that people with intestinal methanogen overgrowth (IMO) were more likely to have symptoms like bloating, stomach pain, and trouble passing gas.

"Our study found that patients with IMO are more likely to have constipation, particularly severe constipation, and less likely to have unyielding diarrhoea," said the study's corresponding author, Ali Rezaie, MD, medical director of the Cedars-Sinai GI Motility Program and director of Bioinformatics at the Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) program at Cedars-Sinai. "Patients, however, also reported several other gut-related symptoms, including bloating, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and flatulence."

As per a release by Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, constipation is one of the most common gut-related issues in the United States. About 16% of adults experience bloating, abdominal pain, and difficulty having bowel movements; the numbers nearly double for people over 60. While many things, like medication side effects or lack of dietary fibre, can cause constipation, historically, there has been a shortage of research on the gut microbiome's role in constipation and other digestive issues.

A simple breath test can be used to diagnose IMO. Patients with excessive methane levels in their breath may benefit from a combination of antibiotics and a specialised diet to suppress the growth of archaea in the gut.

"When there is an excessive amount of archaea in your gut, they produce more methane, and some of that methane makes its way to your bloodstream, then to your lungs, and you breathe it out, where it can be measured as a diagnostic test," Rezaie said. "Essentially, people who have excessive amounts of methane have a lot of GI symptoms, including constipation, flatulence, bloating, and diarrhoea."

This research offers hope for people struggling with constipation and paves the way for research exploring the connection between the gut microbiome and digestive health.