There have been a lot of remedies in relation to the feminine mystery of PMS. Unfortunately, while women search endlessly for a cure, I'm afraid to say there is none. The typical symptoms are generally classified into three categories: Changes in Mood, Attention and Physical Discomforts.

Changes in Mood cover a broad range of complications. These include depression, anxiety, irritability, tearfulness, severe emotional responses, changes in sexual desire, anger and can make existing psychiatric conditions appear worse.

Changes in Attention include forgetfulness, confusion, difficulty in concentration and becoming more prone to have more accidents.

The physical symptoms are more commonly known among women. Bloating, breast tenderness, fluid retention covering the whole body, migraines, lower back pain, nausea, changes in sleeping patterns and change in energy levels.

While some of these symptoms seem extreme, they can be treated. The biggest problem regarding PMS is that later in life these symptoms will continue into menopause (either natural or medical). Learning to live with it and acknowledging that you have PMS is the first step in achieving a balance that hopefully can be maintained in later years.

It is a known fact that regular exercise can help diminish the physical symptoms of PMS. Since exercise affects the adrenal gland, it can help regulate the amount of hormones circulating within the body. Contrary to popular diets, a diet high in carbohydrates helps lessen symptoms. Cutting back on salt and refined sugars as well aid in maintaining balance within the body and hopefully will achieve a more balanced cycle.

Especially with today's busy lifestyle, it is becoming increasingly important to relax. Most of us really don't know how to do this effectively. There is a large emergence of Eastern techniques such as Yoga or Meditation which taught correctly, can be extremely beneficial.

Now, all of this information is absolutely useless if you don't take a hard look at yourself and either acknowledge the problem or stop complaining about it. I don't mean that to sound harsh but the reality is that self awareness is the first key to beginning to understand the nature of this nasty beast. If you know you suffer from mood swings, don't make any sudden or important decisions as it will cloud your judgement. Also, if you suffer from irritability and you decide to blast your partner, children or friends…apologise for it. Or even better, know your feelings.

Before using someone as a punching bag, go scream in a pillow; make a cup of Chamomile tea and 'switch' off for awhile.

Now, you'll hear a lot of information about how fabulous this or that product is but really, every person is individual and in my experience, there is no magic pill. There may be a small test group that some of these products are going work but as a whole, you're better off tailoring to your own needs.

Now, I'm not going to rattle off a whole list of drugs for you to try. Not my area of expertise but I can give you some of the more common herbs used to manage and cope with PMS.

Dandelion tea is very good for fluid retention and helps detoxify the liver without depleting the balance of potassium stores in the body. About three cups a day (depending on your body weight) will usually be enough to keep that under control. It has very few contraindications, which means it's safe to use with other medications but please, before taking any herbs as a form of medicine, ask your health care professional. (Burdock is a milder form of Dandelion and is generally used to clean the blood as well.)

Another herb that appears to be gaining popularity is St John's Wort. Now, this herb is a bit tricky, especially if you are taking anti-depressants. There is an ingredient in St John's Wort that acts as a barrier against the chemicals which incurs during depression. Now if you take the two together… I'm fairly certain you can understand the dangers. The other factor is that many women (mainly extreme cases of PMS and menopause) who take St. John's Wort regularly experience panic attacks, difficulty breathing, abdominal pain and in some sever cases, fainting. Unfortunately, there is no real way to tell if you're going to suffer any of these symptoms but the risk is low.

Chamomile Tea. I have a bit of a thing with this herb simply because no one really knows how long to steep it. Chamomile is tricky. If you infuse it for too long, instead of feeling relaxed, you're going to be more agitated. Again, this comes down to body weight but for the average built female, just jiggling the teabag a few times until the water is still pale yellow, should do it.

Linden Tea (otherwise known as Lime) is probably one of the more traditional herbs used for anxiety, stress, sleeplessness and generally agitation.

For cramping, Raspberry is still up there. It's low risk (practically none) and as long as you're not pregnant, you can drink as much as you want.

Now, Dong Qui is a powerful herb for women. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone unless they suffer sever symptoms. It works well and quickly. For those who suffer a dash of some of the symptoms, I'd only take this during that phase in the second week, just to keep things running smoothly. If you are generally healthy, there shouldn't be any problems with this. (A word of advice - if you find your symptoms are getting worse - cut back the dose first then if they continue… this herb is too strong for you.)

There are many herbs now available to help with different symptoms; Fennel seed, Black Cohosh, Blue Cohosh, Red Clover as well as countless others and it is trial and error. Some women do opt for taking the Pill or going on HRT to control these symptoms but these have their own dangerous side effects.

It does all come down to the individual. Some women may have a really bad month while the next month is fine. Get to understand your triggers (i.e. stress, diet) and lean to live around them. It won't go away (as much as we wish it) so acceptance is a huge step in managing this sometimes debilitating disorder.

Katrana Edmund