Bedfont® Scientific Limited hosted an insightful webinar, Navigating IBS: Understanding IBS symptoms, microbiome impact and the role of HMBT, with expert Gastrointestinal Physiologist, Melissa Dooley. The webinar examined IBS symptoms, their overlap with other conditions, and how hydrogen-methane breath testing (HMBT) can help.

Melissa is a fully accredited Gastrointestinal Physiologist and is a member of both the Irish Institute of Clinical Measurement Scientists and the British Society of Gastroenterology. Melissa has multiple publications and has presented her research at both national and international conferences. Melissa is the founder and director of GastroLife in Ireland and is also a Medical Advisory Board Member for the Gastrolyzer® range at Bedfont®.

This webinar covers some essential topics:

  • What is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?
  • How IBS can affect daily life.
  • How our gut and brain interact with each other.
  • The importance of accurate diagnostic testing.

What is IBS?

IBS is a common and debilitating gastrointestinal disorder that affects around 10-15% of the population. It is a chronic functional gastrointestinal condition that typically affects the lower digestive system. Unfortunately, many people with an IBS diagnosis often feel frustrated at the lack of immediate solutions, and some have even felt dismissed by healthcare professionals, which can lead to a sense of isolation and lack of support. Symptoms of IBS can include:

  • Stomach cramps,
  • Bloating,
  • Discomfort,
  • Diarrhoea,
  • Constipation.

IBS comes in multiple forms:

  • IBS-C refers to IBS with constipation,
  • IBS-D refers to IBS with diarrhoea,
  • IBS-M refers to IBS with mixed bowel habits,

Post-Infectious IBS, which typically occurs after a gastrointestinal infection.

What causes IBS?

There is no definitive cause of IBS that has been identified; however, gut inflammation, altered gut motility, gut hypersensitivity to certain foods, and a disturbed gut microbiome are all considered to play a role in the condition.

Many triggers can exacerbate a person’s IBS symptoms, and these do vary from person to person. Some common triggers include:

  • Mental stress,
  • Anxiety,
  • Certain foods,
  • A change in routine,
  • Hormonal changes.

Gut and brain connection

Studies have shown that our gut microbes produce or help produce many of the chemical neurotransmitters, which serve as messengers conveying messages between our gut and brain. This is why our gut is often referred to as our second brain. Common examples of these messages between our gut and brain are:

  • Butterflies in your tummy from feeling nervous,
  • Sickness or nausea from receiving bad news,
  • Experiencing a gut feeling.

How IBS can affect daily life

IBS tends to be more common in women than in men, and the prevalence is higher in those between the ages of 20 and 40. However, IBS can affect people of all ages. People who suffer from IBS may experience unpredictable episodes, which could include urgency. This can lead to people avoiding social events, eating out, and it can even cause anxiety, which can severely impact a person’s quality of life.

It is vital that people do not self-diagnose, as IBS symptoms can overlap with other gastrointestinal conditions. Consulting with a healthcare professional can lead to further investigations, such as blood or stool tests, rather than attempting to manage symptoms with over-the-counter medication.

How can HMBT help?

Whilst a HMBT cannot diagnose IBS, it is a great diagnostic tool that can be used to rule it out. HMBT was developed due to the relative inaccessibility of the small intestine and is useful for detecting both small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and dietary malabsorption.

Hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4) are gases produced by the fermentation of undigested carbohydrates in the gut. High levels of these gases can suggest gastrointestinal disorders such as SIBO and carbohydrate malabsorption, therefore, ruling out IBS.

Melissa discusses IBS, SIBO and carbohydrate malabsorption in detail throughout the webinar, even detailing a real-life case study. To learn more and watch the webinar in full, click here.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a harmful gas formed through incomplete combustion and is produced when smoking tobacco. Smoking kills over 8 million people a year and is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced1. This includes an estimated 1.3 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke1. Smoking has a profound impact on people’s health, affecting nearly every organ of the body and leading to a variety of diseases.

In light of the startling figures mentioned above, this blog examines CO monitoring and how it can help with a quit-smoking attempt.

What is CO, and why is it harmful?

CO is a colourless, odourless gas found in cigarette smoke. When inhaled, it is absorbed into the bloodstream through the lungs. The CO attaches to the haemoglobin in red blood cells and blocks the oxygen they carry, starving your body of oxygen. This can then lead to many health complications and smoking-related diseases2, such as:

  • Cancer,
  • Breathing and chronic respiratory conditions,
  • Heart disease, stroke and blood circulation problems,
  • Diabetes,
  • And many more serious illnesses.

The consequences of smoking are staggering, with smoking-related deaths remaining the UK’s biggest preventable killer, causing 1 in 4 cancer deaths and 64,000 deaths per year in England3.

How CO monitoring works

CO monitoring is an easy, non-invasive way to track CO levels in exhaled breath. CO is a gas naturally found in a person’s exhaled breath, and it is normal to have a small amount of CO in your breath. However, as smokers inhale CO when smoking, a higher level of CO is exhaled.

Why is CO monitoring useful for smoking cessation?

People embarking on a quit-smoking journey can benefit from using a CO device like the Smokerlyzer® by receiving immediate insights into their smoking-related CO levels. Seeing a decline in CO levels after quitting can be a strong motivator and reinforce a person’s reason for quitting.

A study by Beard and West (2012) on the effectiveness of personal carbon monoxide monitoring found that out of 10 smokers, “7 of the smokers reported that they felt as though the devices had reduced their cigarette consumption… 6 smokers reported a lower nicotine dependency relative to baseline. Over the 6 weeks, there appeared to be a significant decline in the number of cigarettes smoked per day4”.

With smoking killing over 8 million people a year, it is clear that more needs to be done to aid smoking cessation and relieve the burden of smoking-related illnesses on healthcare providers worldwide. CO monitoring is a proven tool to help people with a quit attempt and take control of their health. To learn more about CO monitoring with devices like the Smokerlyzer®, visit the website here.

References

  1. World Health Organization. [cited on 2/5/24] Available from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco 
  2. Department of Health and Aged Care. Effects of smoking and tobacco [Internet]. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. 2024. Available from: https://www.health.gov.au/topics/smoking-vaping-and-tobacco/about-smoking/effects
  3. Prime Minister to create ‘smokefree generation’ by ending cigarette sales to those born on or after 1 January 2009 [Internet]. GOV.UK. 2023. [Cited Monday 16th September 2024]. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-to-create-smokefree-generation-by-ending-cigarette-sales-to-those-born-on-or-after-1-january-2009
  4. Pilot Study of the Use of Personal Carbon Monoxide Monitoring to Achieve Radical Smoking Reduction. Journal of Smoking Cessation. Emma Beard and Robert West (2012). [cited on 31/5/24] Available from https://web.archive.org/web/20180721211143id_/https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/0BAC2289E42E9C31C892D54BF7980237/S1834261212000011a.pdf/div-class-title-pilot-study-of-the-use-of-personal-carbon-monoxide-monitoring-to-achieve-radical-smoking-reduction-div.pdf

New partnership with Medvision for Medical Services Company brings the Gastrolyzer® range to Kuwait.

Bedfont® Scientific Limited, world leaders in breath analysis, is pleased to announce its collaboration with Medvision for Medical Services Company in Kuwait. Medvision, a leading distributor of high-quality medical equipment, disposables and services to the public and private sectors, has recently secured registration for the Gastrolyzer® range of Hydrogen-Methane Breath Testing (HMBT) devices.

The Gastrolyzer® range, manufactured by Bedfont®, an innovative med-tech company with over 48 years of experience in medical breath analysis, comprises of the Gastro+™ hydrogen breath testing device and the GastroCH4ECK™ HMBT device. These devices are designed to help detect gastrointestinal disorders such as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and carbohydrate malabsorption, making them excellent additions to the Medvision catalogue.

“This registration and partnership represent a key milestone in our mission to expand globally while staying locally relevant,” said Jason Smith, CEO of Bedfont®. “Kuwait is a strategically important market for us, and with Medvision’s strong local expertise, we are confident that our HMBT range will reach and support the region with the quality and innovation they expect.”

Sharing high-quality and patient-focused values, this partnership marks a significant step in expanding Bedfont’s innovative technology in the Middle East. It will allow easier access and localised support for patients seeking reliable and advanced HMBT diagnostics.

The Gastrolyzer® range is now officially registered by Medvision, ensuring compliance with local regulations and streamlined access for end-users in Kuwait. For more information on the Gastrolyzer® range and how it revolutionises gastrointestinal investigation, click here.

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