(HealthDay News) - If hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause are cramping your style, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers these suggestions:

* Eat a healthy, balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats.
* Get plenty of regular exercise.
* Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may help certain women, but it carries medical risks. Discuss HRT with your doctor.
* Foods rich in soy may help some side effects, such as hot flashes.
* Get plenty of sleep, and maintain a regular sleep schedule.
* Avoid caffeine and alcohol.

(HealthDay News) - If hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause are cramping your style, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers these suggestions:

(HealthDay News) - Menopause, the hormonal change in a woman's body in which her menstrual cycle stops, can happen as early as before age 40, but most often occurs in women between age 45 and 55.

The Foundation for Better Health Care lists these common symptoms of menopause:

* Missed period for at least 12 months, with no cause other than menopause.

* Abnormal periods for you, such as spotting, different cycles or a different flow.

* Vaginal dryness.

* Changes in weight, difficulty sleeping, night sweats and hot flashes.

Women who have in vitro fertilization (IVF) don't experience early menopause or more severe menopause symptoms, says a British study that's one of the first to examine the long-term effects of the fertility treatment.

The study included about 200 women, average age just over 50, who were among the first to undergo IVF in the 1980s. The age at which they started menopause was comparable with the national average and there was no increase in menopausal symptoms associated with the number of IVF treatments, BBC News reported.

Acupuncture helped relieve hot flushes in women taking the drug tamoxifen after breast cancer surgery, says a Norwegian study.