[Functional disorders of the digestive tract]

The most common functional disorders of the digestive tract include the irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia, functional constipation and diarrhea. In addition to gastrointestinal symptoms, the patients exhibit other symptoms, particularly depression and anxiety, more frequently than in somatic bowel diseases. During therapy it is important to inform the patient about the benign nature of the symptoms and to screen for possible factors that exacerbate the symptoms. Most patients will manage without continuous medication. According to the leading symptom, medication is usually directed towards pain or motility disorder.