A lactose breath test can't tell you what a full malabsorption panel can.
Bloating, gas, and diarrhea after eating often trace back to one or several specific sugars. Breath testing identifies which ones, precisely.
Bloating, gas, and diarrhea after eating often trace back to one or several specific sugars. Breath testing identifies which ones, precisely.
Carbohydrate malabsorption occurs when the small intestine can't fully break down and absorb a specific sugar. The undigested portion reaches the colon, where bacteria ferment it, producing the gas responsible for bloating, cramping, and diarrhea. A breath test identifies exactly which sugar is the problem.
After a baseline breath sample, you drink a solution containing a measured amount of the sugar in question. Breath samples are then collected at regular intervals. A rise in breath hydrogen signals that the sugar reached the colon undigested, confirming malabsorption of that specific sugar.
Malabsorption and bacterial overgrowth frequently present with the same symptoms. Where the history suggests overlap, we pair this panel with SIBO breath testing to separate the two.
Patients with recurring bloating, gas, cramping, or diarrhea tied to specific foods, especially where a suspected trigger such as dairy or fruit has not been formally confirmed.