You are never alone. Every second of every day, you’re accompanied by billions of other organisms that live within you, flourishing based upon the choices you make.

This is a good thing.

I’m talking primarily about your digestive tract. Specifically the beneficial bacteria, frequently referred to as the normal flora, that exist in the intestines. While other parts of your body are also populated by friendly bugs, the gut is where their impact is most frequently noticed.

We have a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria in our gut, because humans and the bacteria living inside us both benefit from each other.

The bacteria get a nice, warm, moist, and dark place through which food passes on a regular basis. Compared to trying to survive on a countertop or a random doorknob, our guts are a bacterium’s playground.

In return, these bacteria help us by breaking down food for easy absorption, producing vitamins, and protecting us from unwanted invaders. The unwanted invaders are usually other bacteria or parasites that are pathogenic.

Interestingly, some of the most beneficial bacterial strains in our gut, if allowed to overly proliferate, can also be harmful. Ever heard of someone getting sick from an E. coli infection? E. coli is actually a very useful bacterial strain that normally inhabits your intestinal tract, producing much needed Vitamin K as well as certain B vitamins.

When Bugs Go Bad

So what’s the problem? As long as you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you, right?

Unfortunately, we’re usually the ones who begin the family feud. Antibiotics are the usual culprit.

Say you have a strong case of bacterial bronchitis and your doctor prescribes a round of antibiotics to make things right. Pretty soon, you’re breathing easier and coughing up less mucus.

However, clearing out the bugs in your lungs involves some collateral damage to the ones in your gut. Generally speaking, antibiotics do not discriminate between “good” and “bad” (or nonpathogenic and pathogenic) varieties of bacteria.

By taking antibiotics to cure your lung infection, you also kill off a good deal of the bacteria in your intestines.

But this isn’t the only way we can upset our balance of normal flora.

Simply being born by C-section reduces one’s chances of having a normally populated intestinal tract. Passing through the birth canal allows infants to pick up bacterial strains that help populate the gut. Infants who skip that process start off at a relative disadvantage.

Consuming contaminated food or drink is also an obvious way to give potentially pathogenic bacteria a foot hold in your digestive tract. If the bad bacteria then overpopulate your gut, the good guys have no space to set up shop.  There’s only so much room in the house.

Reading the Signs

Knowing when you have an imbalance is the first step to correcting it. Common signs are frequent gas, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation. When affected, many people regularly cycle through several of these symptoms.

Symptoms can also be more subtle. Since our normal flora help us assimilate nutrients, any symptom related to nutritional deficiencies is possible. This can be as varied as skin irritation, fatigue, or light sensitivity.

If you suspect a problem with your flora, a good lab test involving a stool sample is key. Regular human labs aren’t very good at finding tricky bacterial or parasitic problems related to the gut.

Vet labs are great at finding this kind of problem in pets. However, in lieu of giving my patients a pseudonym of “Fido” and sending their sample off to the local vet lab, we’ve found a lab that does a fantastic job of handling human samples. They also analyze the sample to determine specifically what bacterial strains are present or absent, as well as any varieties of pathogenic bugs that might be, well — bugging you.

Any lab that does this should be able to send a list of natural and prescriptive agents to help kill off the bad guys. If they don’t, ask around for one that does.

Now What?

Step two is to get rid of the bad guys and bring in the good.

The process of eliminating bad bacteria or parasites is as varied as the bugs themselves. There are dozens of common herbs and prescriptive agents that handle the job nicely.

Probiotics are the good stuff. These are supplements that contain beneficial bacterial strains in easily digestible powder, capsule, or liquid forms.

We can’t directly access the intestinal tract. Anything we take must pass through the stomach first. This makes repopulating the digestive tract like a war of attrition. If we send down a high enough number to make it through the stomach, with any luck they’ll take hold in the intestines and stay for good.

You can commonly find good bacteria in regular yogurt from the grocery store, but there usually aren’t enough bacteria to really get the job done. Most yogurt brands contain live cultures with only a few hundred million bacteria.

By contrast, with my patients I’ve found that repopulating the gut requires tens of billions of organisms a day to have a good chance of taking hold. Usually a good solution for this is finding a good probiotic supplement.

You can find high quality, potent supplements that’ll do the trick at your local health food store, specialty pharmacy, or through a health care provider knowledgeable about natural remedies.

Going Forward

For most people, taking probiotics on a regular basis isn’t necessary. Some do find that taking regular probiotics in low doses helps them feel more regular, experience less bloating and flatulence, and have better energy throughout the day.

However, if you have to take antibiotics for any reason, it’s a good idea to follow that up with a round of probiotics. If you experience persistent problems, get in to see your local health care practitioner. Your friends in your gut, and the rest of you will appreciate it!