Dr Rona Moss-Morris, a gastroenterologist who did a survey of 620 patients suggests: “Patients who have ongoing IBS symptoms might benefit from a simple, early intervention of CBT, a means of changing thought processes from negative to positive that has been shown to be helpful.”

EArly intervention works well for many illnesses. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helps you to identify some of your negative and unhelpful thinking, and then to change the way you commonly talk to yourself. For example, some of us catastrophise our symptoms, telling ourselves that we just can't stand the pain. This only  makes things worse, and can often cause further anxiety, as you worry about whether or not you can cope. CBT helps you cope better. And hypnosis has been shown to directly improve the symptoms.

The cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy that I practice allows you to take control of your symptoms and improves your ability to cope. Not all pain involves suffering. If you have IBS, then consider CBT and hypnotherapy. The sooner the better.

Two bits of recent research show that a bout of food poisoning is a major independent risk factor for developing IBS.

Spanish researchers Luis A García Rodríguez and Ana Ruigómez found that in the general population the rate of classic IBS (as determined by the modified Rome criteria) was 0.3% and in those who had suffered gastroenteritis, the rate was much higher at 4.4%. This is about the same as the rate of 7% found by Keith R Neal, John Hebden and Robin Spiller of the Department of Gastroenterology Queens Medical Centre Nottingham. They also found that 25% had some digestive problems 6 months on.

If you get a serious gastric infection, be sure to get it properly treated by your GP.