Functional dyspepsia

Dyspepsia is a word derived from the ancient Greek prefix dys- (meaning bad or impaired) and the Latin word pépsis (meaning cooking, ripening, or digestion). This term describes an uncomfortable feeling/sensation arising from the upper abdomen, suggesting a pathological condition in the stomach or duodenum that is interfering with behavior, especially eating. Such symptoms can vary from pain or burning sensation to upper abdominal discomfort, nausea, and loss of appetite. Reflux, regurgitation, belching, and vomiting are also included in the spectrum of symptoms of dyspepsia. These symptoms may suggest an organic disorder of the upper gastrointestinal tract, particularly the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum. Similar symptoms may occur as a result of a psychological or psychiatric disorder, such as depression, anxiety, or excessive perceived stress. In the everyday clinical setting, a patient who has chronic symptoms of dyspepsia with no apparent cause is diagnosed as having functional dyspepsia (FD). According to the Rome IV criteria, FD is defined as a chronic medical condition that has a significant impact on usual activities and is characterized by one or more of the following symptoms that are unexplained after routine clinical evaluation: postprandial fullness, early satiety, epigastric pain, and epigastric burning. Symptom onset must be at least 3 months before the diagnosis and the symptoms must have been persistent during the previous 3 months. During the diagnostic process, secondary dyspepsia (dyspepsia with a known etiology), and Helicobacter pylori-related dyspepsia (confirmed by a symptomatic response to H. pylori eradication therapy) must be excluded. Patients who have not undergone endoscopic screening are classified as having uninvestigated dyspepsia. Patients whose routine screening does not reveal any findings that could cause dyspeptic symptoms are diagnosed as having FD.