Digestive Health Irritable Bowel Syndrome The Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders By Barbara Bolen, PhD twitter Barbara Bolen, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and health coach. She has written multiple books focused on living with irritable bowel syndrome. Learn about our editorial process Barbara Bolen, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH on October 19, 2020 linkedin Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH, is board-certified in gastroentrology. He is the vice chair for ambulatory services for the department of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. Learn about our Medical Review Board Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH on October 19, 2020 Print Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGDs) are disorders of the digestive system in which symptoms cannot be explained by the presence of structural or tissue abnormality. FGDs lack identifiable biomarkers, and therefore, like all functional disorders, FGDs are diagnosed based on their symptom picture. Universal Images Group / Getty Images Rome Criteria In the past, FGDs were considered to be diagnoses of exclusion, meaning that they could only be diagnosed after organic (identifiable) disease was ruled out. However, back in 1988, a group of researchers and physicians met to devise strict criteria for the diagnosis of the various FGDs. These criteria are now known as the "Rome Criteria." Currently, these criteria are in their fourth revision as of 2016. Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders Here is a comprehensive list of FGDs as delineated by the Rome III criteria: Functional Esophageal Disorders Functional heartburnFunctional chest pain of presumed esophageal originFunctional dysphagiaGlobus Functional Gastroduodenal Disorders Functional dyspepsia (includes postprandial distress syndrome and epigastric pain syndromeAerophagiaUnspecified excessive belchingChronic idiopathic nauseaFunctional vomitingCyclic vomiting syndromeRumination syndrome in adults Functional Bowel Disorders Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)Functional constipationFunctional diarrheaUnspecified functional bowel disorder Functional Abdominal Pain Syndrome Functional abdominal pain (FAP) Functional Gallbladder and Sphincter of Oddi Disorders Functional gallbladder disorderFunctional biliary Sphincter of Oddi disorderFunctional pancreatic Sphincter of Oddi disorder Functional Anorectal Disorders Functional fecal incontinenceFunctional Anorectal Pain (includes chronic proctalgia, Levator ani syndrome), unspecified functional anorectal pain, and proctalgia fugax)Functional Defecation Disorders (includes dyssynergic defecation and inadequate defecatory propulsion) Childhood Functional GI Disorders: Infant/Toddler Infant regurgitationInfant rumination syndromeCyclic vomiting syndromeInfant colicFunctional diarrheaInfant dyscheziaFunctional constipation Childhood Functional GI Disorders: Child/Adolescent Vomiting and Aerophagia: adolescent rumination syndrome, cyclic vomiting syndrome, and aerophagiaAbdominal Pain-Related Functional GI Disorders: functional dyspepsia, IBS, abdominal migraine, childhood functional abdominal pain, and childhood functional abdominal pain syndromeConstipation and Incontinence: functional constipation and nonretentive fecal incontinence Diagnosis of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders Although the Rome criteria allow the diagnosis of FGDs to be symptom-based, your doctor may still want to run some standard diagnostic tests to rule out other diseases or to look for structural problems that are resulting in your symptoms. Treatment of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders Although no visible signs of disease or structural problems are identified as causing the symptoms of FGDs, this does not mean that these disorders are not real, nor does it mean that they are not treatable. If you suspect you have or have been diagnosed with an FGD, it will be essential to work with your doctor on a working treatment plan. Treatment options may include: MedicationDietary changesBiofeedbackPhysical therapyStress managementPsychotherapy Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! One of the most challenging aspects of having IBS is trying to figure out what's safe to eat. Our recipe guide makes it easier. Sign up and get yours now! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. "Rome III Diagnostic Criteria For Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders" Drossman, D. "The Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders and the Rome III Process" Gastroenterology 2006 130:1377-1390.