Dysbiosis (also called dysbacteriosis) refers to a condition with microbial imbalances on or within the body. Dysbiosis is most prominent in the digestive tract or on the skin, but can also occur on any exposed surface or mucous membrane such as the vagina, lungs, mouth, nose, sinuses, ears, nails, or eyes. It has been associated with different illnesses, like inflammatory bowel disease[1][2] and chronic fatigue syndrome.[3]
In small amounts the microbial colonies found on or in the body are benign or beneficial in most cases. These beneficial and appropriately sized microbial colonies carry out a series of helpful and necessary functions. They also protect the body from the penetration of pathogenic microbes. These beneficial microbial colonies also compete with each other keeping one another in check so no specific microbial colony dominates.
When this balance is disturbed, by such diverse things as repeated and inappropriate antibiotic exposure[4] or alcohol misuse,[5][6] these colonies exhibit a decreased ability to check each other's growth. This can lead to an overgrowth of one or more of the disturbed colonies which then may damage some of the other smaller beneficial ones.
This type of situation often instigates a vicious cycle. As more beneficial colonies are damaged, making the imbalance more pronounced, more overgrowth issues occur since the damaged colonies are less able to check the growth of the overgrowing ones. If this goes unchecked long enough, a pervasive and chronic imbalance between colonies will set in, which ultimately minimizes the beneficial nature of these colonies as a whole.
Microbial colonies also excrete many different types of waste byproducts. Using different waste removal mechanisms, under normal circumstances the body effectively manages these byproducts with little or no trouble. Unfortunately, over-sized and inappropriately large colonies, due to their increased numbers, excrete increased amounts of these byproducts. As the amount of microbial byproducts increases, the higher waste byproducts levels can overburden the body's waste removal mechanisms.
It is the combination of these two negative outcomes that causes many of the negative health symptoms observed when dysbiosis is present.