Why Many People Have SIBO and Don’t Even Know It

1. SIBO Symptoms Often Look Like “Normal” Digestive Issues

Bloating, gas, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, and cramping are all common symptoms of SIBO — but they’re also widely dismissed as just stress, food sensitivities, or “part of life.” In fact, more than half of people surveyed believe bloating and gas are normal everyday issues, even though they can indicate bacterial imbalance.

This normalization means people don’t recognize that something deeper might be going on, so they never talk to a doctor about it.

2. Most People Aren’t Even Familiar With SIBO

Awareness of SIBO among the general public and even some healthcare providers remains low. In one survey, about 75% of people had never heard of SIBO, and a significant number of patients diagnosed with IBS were never told SIBO could be a possible cause of their symptoms.

Because the condition isn’t on many peoples’ radar, symptoms are often misattributed to other digestive disorders.

3. Symptoms Overlap With Other Conditions

SIBO shares almost identical symptoms with conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), functional bloating, and other digestive disorders. This makes it easy for doctors and patients alike to default to more common diagnoses — such as IBS — without specifically testing for bacterial overgrowth.

Since up to a third or more of people with IBS actually have SIBO, many cases go undetected unless specific testing is done.

4. Breath Testing Isn’t Routinely Offered

The most common test for SIBO is a breath test that measures hydrogen and methane gases produced by bacteria. But not all clinicians offer this test, and even when they do, the protocols can vary. Some providers rely on symptom descriptions alone, which can miss the diagnosis completely.

Because SIBO requires specific testing, many people with the condition are never formally diagnosed.

5. Some People Have Mild or Intermittent Symptoms

Not everyone with SIBO feels awful every day. Some individuals have mild or intermittent symptoms that come and go depending on diet, stress, medications, or gut motility. These subtler experiences can be easy to overlook or explain away — especially if symptoms improve sometimes.

This uneven symptom pattern contributes to underdiagnosis because people may not seek medical help unless symptoms become severe.

6. SIBO Can Coexist With Other Digestive Conditions

Another reason SIBO goes undetected is because it frequently occurs alongside other medical or digestive conditions, such as IBS, celiac disease, or Crohn’s disease — all of which can overshadow or confuse the clinical picture.

When a complex health picture is present, clinicians may focus on the most obvious diagnosis and miss bacterial overgrowth entirely.

7. Many People Normalize Digestive Discomfort

Most importantly, people often learn to live with their symptoms rather than think of them as signs of a treatable condition. Digestive discomfort is so common that it’s easy to believe bloating, gas, and irregular bowel habits are just “normal.”

This normalization delays diagnosis and leaves many people struggling longer than they have to.

Final Thought: Awareness Is the First Step

SIBO doesn’t always announce itself with severe symptoms — and because of that, it often goes undiagnosed. Better awareness of how SIBO presents, knowing when to request specific testing, and understanding that digestive discomfort isn’t always “just normal” are key to getting accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.