Can Vaginal Creams Help Vaginal Dryness Problems?

Because women have so many different hormonal fluctuations over their lives, one issue that can come up time and time again is vaginal dryness. Some women experience this during their pre-menopausal years while others don't have the problem until after menopause has passed.

No matter what the reason, a woman should not have to live with vaginal dryness on an ongoing basis because there are vaginal creams that might be of assistance in some situations.

The key is understanding which of these creams are actually helpful for most women.

Many women who are suffering from this condition can actually find a lot of relief by using natural estrogen products which are locally applied. However, some doctors are against this procedure and recommend hormone replacement therapy instead. In recent years, there has been much discussion about the safety of either method.

The first course of action a woman should take if she is experiencing vaginal dryness is asking her physician for recommendation of what she should use. Many doctors will use Premarin vaginal cream as the first option when asked.

Here are some of the vaginal cream options that may be introduced to a woman when she complains of dryness issues:

• Estriol vaginal cream and suppositories: this may be one of the safest and gentlest options available for women, especially those who have any concerns about breast cancer. That's because it is very low in its potency and uses a more gradual method for thickening tissue both inside and outside of the vagina. It usually takes about 1 to 2 weeks before a woman will see results with this kind of cream. It must be compounded in a special kind of pharmacy as it is not generally available over-the-counter.
• Vagifem: these are actually vaginal tablets that are becoming more popular because they are not messy and they are easy to insert. They will help to rejuvenate the vaginal tissues as well as the vulva over time. They don't work as quickly as external creams, and they are not supposed to be used as the lubricant before intercourse. They contain a small amount of estradiol.
• Estrace vaginal cream: this is an estradiol vaginal cream which takes about 1 to 2 weeks to take effect. It can also be used on the vulva.

Another option that many women choose is called a vaginal ring. This is inserted into the vagina and will stay there for up to 90 days. Once those 90 days have passed, a woman will simply remove it and replace it with a new ring. It contains a small amount of estradiol which is released in a stable manner over the course of those 90 days. It also provides some support to the vaginal walls in women whose pelvic floor muscles might be weak.

The drawback of using these rings is that they can be a little bit difficult to learn to insert and remove at first. For that reason, some women even choose to see their doctor every 90 days to have it done for them.

Of course, there many kinds of vaginal creams that a woman can also buy over the counter at her local retail store. These typically don't have any long-term effects, however, so if a woman wants to take care of this problem medically then she will need to see her doctor about getting these types of products above.