Which of the following are considered functional syndromes?

Functional syndromes refer to medical conditions characterized by chronic symptoms without a clear structural or biochemical explanation. These syndromes often involve a range of symptoms that can significantly affect a person’s quality of life.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ) fit into this category, as they are primarily defined by symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and discomfort, rather than identifiable physical changes. For example, IBS is characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits, but there are no observable structural abnormalities in the gastrointestinal tract. Similarly, fibromyalgia involves widespread musculoskeletal pain along with fatigue and cognitive issues but lacks identifiable pathophysiological changes.

In contrast, conditions associated with the other options involve more definitive diagnoses based on identifiable mental health disorders or chronic inflammatory diseases. For instance, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder have clear diagnostic criteria based on psychological symptoms and behaviors, and they are classified as mental health disorders rather than functional syndromes.

Asthma, COPD, bronchitis, and emphysema involve identifiable physical changes in the lungs and respiratory system, leading to the classification of these conditions as respiratory diseases rather than functional syndromes.

Understanding these