Some women are lucky not to have any problems with their monthly cycles while others experience only minor discomforts.

However, between 30 and 50 per cent of women suffer through each period and look forward to them ending.

Periods can be irregular, delayed or absent (amenorrhoea), abnormally heavy (menorrhagia), painful (dysmenorrhoea) and accompanied by a variety of other symptoms.

Painkillers and hormones are the only conventional treatments available.

A well-chosen, constitutional homeopathic remedy can balance the hormones and improve health on many levels. Extremely heavy bleeding should always be checked by a medical doctor.

Most common complaints are menstrual cramps and dysmenorrhoea.

While cramps are acute, temporary and generally less troublesome, dysmenorrhoea is more chronic and can last for the duration of the period. It can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache and fatigue.

Sometimes periods can become absent or delayed, despite a regular cycle being achieved at puberty.

Irregular menstruation doesnt follow the normal 28-day cycle, with the length and flow varying. Young girls often complain of irregular cycles.

Excessive bleeding is a very common menstrual problem. Usually, cycles are regular but the bleeding is excessive and this can lead to anaemia.

Doctors offer hormonal treatment, which only temporarily controls the problem and can have a lot of side-effects.

Menopause, fibroids, hormonal dysfunction, tumours and endometriosis can aggravate the condition but are all successfully treatable with homeopathy.

The following can be helpful for women suffering menstrual problems:

Belladonna: For when bleeding is increased, bright red and hot. Labour-like pains come and go suddenly. Breasts feel heavy, hard and red.

Calc-carb: For periods which come too early and last a long time, with a flow of bright red blood accompanied by a general feeling of chilliness, clammy hands and feet and cravings for sweets.

Coulophyllum: Helps with irregular periods and difficulty becoming pregnant.

Chamomilla: Useful when discharge of clotted, dark blood is profuse, with spasmodic labour-like pains. Breasts feel tender to touch.

Cimcifuga: This remedy is helpful for irregular, painful periods, with shooting pains down the hips and thighs or labour-like pains in the pelvis.

Graphites: Useful for when periods are late, pale and scanty with sweating and morning sickness. Breasts are swollen and hard.

Lycopodium: For shooting pains in the lower abdomen. Periods delayed, prolonged and heavy.

Nat-mur: For menstrual problems accompanied by migraines.

Nux-vom: For irregular and/or prolonged periods with black blood and fainting spells.

Pulsatilla: Helpful to girls who have recently started menstruating and whose periods are intermittent and accompanied by queasy feelings, nausea and faintness.

Rhus-tox: Prolonged and acrid periods.

Sepia: For scanty, irregular, early and profuse periods with sharp, clutching pains.

Elizabeth Whitney is a qualified, registered homeopath and can be contacted at Advanced Homeopathic Centre, 62 Palmeira Avenue, Hove. Call 01273 390938 or email elizabethwhitney@onetel.net.uk