A healthy gut is home to trillions of bacteria that help with digestion, immunity, and general wellbeing. But when this balance is disrupted, it can lead to a condition called gut dysbiosis, an imbalance in the intestinal flora. This imbalance can be caused by several lifestyle and medical factors often resulting in diarrhoea, which itself can cause or worsen the imbalance.
Understanding what causes dysbiosis, how to recognise dysbiosis symptoms, and how to manage them is key to both preventing and recovering from many types of digestive upset.
Gut dysbiosis refers to an imbalance in the gut microbiota, the ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms living in your digestive tract. A healthy gut has a rich and diverse bacterial population, with good bacteria helping to digest food, fight off harmful pathogens, and even influence mood. When this delicate balance is disrupted, it becomes harder for your gut to function properly.
While the word may sound clinical, its effects are anything but distant. Dysbiosis symptoms may include:
Dysbiosis can develop for a number of reasons, many of which are hard to avoid in everyday life:
Antibiotics are often necessary to fight bacterial infections, but they don’t discriminate. They wipe out good bacteria alongside the bad, disturbing the natural balance of the microbiota. This can lead to antibiotic associated diarrhoea, a common and often uncomfortable side effect.
Stomach bugs and problems like travellers’ diarrhoea can disrupt the gut microbiota directly, usually through the diarrhoea they cause. Even after the infection clears, the gut may remain out of balance, which can prolong symptoms like diarrhoea and bloating.
The gut and brain are closely linked. Chronic stress can directly impact the health of your gut microbiome, increasing inflammation and decreasing bacterial diversity. This can trigger a condition called stress-induced diarrhoea.
There are several lifestyle factors that can disrupt the balance of your gut bacteria. A change in diet, drinking two or more alcoholic beverages a day, and even poor dental hygiene can all lead to dysbiosis.
One of the most frustrating things about gut dysbiosis is its two-way relationship with diarrhoea. On the one hand, gut dysbiosis can cause diarrhoea, weakening your gut’s ability to break down nutrients and even impacting your immune system. On the other hand, diarrhoea itself can cause gut dysbiosis by rapidly flushing out bacteria, good and bad alike.
This creates a cycle where the gut takes longer to fully recover, even after the original trigger (like a stomach bug or course of antibiotics) has passed. Restoring balance is key to breaking this cycle and supporting both short-term recovery and long-term gut health.
Managing gut dysbiosis often depends on the cause. If there is an underlying disease causing the problem, then you may need a specific treatment. However, if it is caused by lifestyle, medication, or a stomach bug, then reducing stress, reducing alcohol, and importantly using probiotics can help reduce and manage an imbalance.
As we have mentioned, dysbiosis and diarrhoea have a cyclic relationship, with one often causing the other. To prevent this cycle from continuing, doctors often recommend the use of probiotics in diarrhoea treatment plans alongside more traditional medications.
Probiotics help restore gut flora, helping to stop the imbalance that characterises dysbiosis. However, when you have diarrhoea this often means buying two separate treatments: one to treat diarrhoea, and another to restore bacterial balance.
That’s where Tasectan Duo comes in. Tasectan Duo is the only anti-diarrhoeal treatment on the market that combines clinically proven diarrhoea relief with the added support of beneficial probiotic strains all in one product11. It uses the same time-tested anti-diarrhoeal mode of action as Tasectan, Tasectan Duo brings the added benefit of probiotics to help prevent dysbiosis and help you feel better faster.
Gut dysbiosis is more than just a temporary annoyance. Left unchecked, gut dysbiosis can cause significant changes. Whether triggered by antibiotics, stress, or infection, recognising the signs early and taking steps to restore balance is key to breaking the cycle of diarrhoea and discomfort.
With its dual action, Tasectan Duo offers a practical, single-step solution, addressing both the symptom of diarrhoea and the underlying disruption in gut flora. When it comes to your gut, the right support at the right time can make all the difference.
Don’t let your diarrhoea solution cause a new problem.
Find Tasectan Duo at any Clicks, Dis-Chem, or independent pharmacy or shop online.
