What is the Rome IV criteria?

The Rome IV criteria is used Internationally by the medical profession to maintain consistency when diagnosing IBS. The criteria is a set of guidelines based on the typical symptoms and frequency shared by the majority of IBS sufferers.

A diagnosis of IBS will be considered if you meet the following criteria:

Recurrent abdominal pain on average at least 1 day a week in the last 3 months, associated with two or more of the following criteria:

1. Related to defecation

2. Associated with a change in the frequency of stool

3. Associated with a change in the form (appearance) of stool

(These criteria should be fulfilled for the last 3 months with symptom onset at least 6 months prior to diagnosis.)

In addition to the Rome IV criteria your doctor will also check if you are experiencing at least two of these four additional symptoms:

1. Altered stool passage (straining, urgency, incomplete evacuation)
2. Abdominal bloating (more common in women than men), distension, tension or hardness
3. Symptoms made worse by eating
4. Passage of mucus.

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Other common symptoms of IBS such as lethargy, nausea, backache and bladder issues may help your doctor to support a diagnosis of IBS.

Your doctor will also need to know about any other signs and symptoms that may suggest you have a condition other than IBS. These are known as "red flag" symptoms.

Do you suspect you may have IBS? Could you do with some support as you navigate your tests, doctors appointments and diagnosis? We break it all down into easy to manage steps in these posts.

Have you heard of the Rome IV criteria before?