Functional Bowel Disease

Functional bowel disease affects the lower and middle gastrointestinal tract, according to the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS). Functional bowel disease includes irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional constipation, functional abdominal bloating, functional diarrhea and unspecified functional bowel disorders.

Diagnosis

• Diagnosis begins with a thorough physical exam and an overview of a patient's history. Screenings such as hematology, flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy may be used to rule out organic causes.

Causes

• Causes of functional bowel disease include metabolic problems as well as neurological problems within the body.

Treatment

• Treatments for functional bowel disease include diet alterations and medication. Dietary recommendations for functional bowel disease include higher fiber intake combined with a low fat diet. If pain is a dominant symptom, anti-spasmodic drugs can be prescribed.

Fact

• ASCRS statistics show that IBS affects more women than men. The prevalence of IBS is lower in the elderly.

Prognosis

• Some chronic cases of functional bowel disease require surgery. However, the majority of people with functional bowel disease can take laxatives and make changes to their diet to cure their symptoms.