Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Functional bowel disorder
Introduction
Overview
Overview
In medicine, the term functional bowel disorder refers to a group of bowel disorders which are characterised by chronic abdominal complaints without a structural or biochemical cause that could explain symptoms. Functional bowel disorders include, among others:
- Functional dyspepsia
- Non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP)
- Chronic abdominal pain
- Functional constipation
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
The Rome process has been pivotal in defining the functional gastrointestinal disorders. Successively, the Rome I, Rome II and the Rome III meetings have proposed a consensual classification system and terminology, as recommended by the Rome Coordinating Committee.