Human health and medicine

Vaginal foreign body

Vaginal foreign body (ICD-11 GA14.2): an object lodged in the vaginal canal, from toilet paper in children to tampons and pessaries in adults, causing bleeding, discharge, and infection until removed.

Vaginal haematoma

Vaginal haematoma (vulvovaginal or puerperal genital hematoma), a blood collection in vaginal or vulvar tissue after childbirth or trauma; treated conservatively if not expanding, or by surgery or arterial embolization.

Vaginal hysterectomy

Vaginal hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus and cervix through the vagina, without abdominal incision; it is the preferred route whenever feasible, offering less pain and faster recovery.

Vaginal laxity

Vaginal laxity (VL), also called vaginal looseness or vaginal relaxation syndrome, is a self-reported symptom of pelvic floor dysfunction: excessive vaginal looseness, usually after childbirth, aging, or menopause, assessed by questionnaires such as the VLQ and treated first with pelvic floor muscle training.

Vaginal lubrication

Vaginal lubrication, also known as vaginal wetness or vaginal secretions, is the moistening of the vagina by fluid from blood plasma, increasing during sexual arousal to allow painless penetration.

Vaginal smear

A vaginal smear is a cytology preparation of cells scraped from the vaginal lining and examined microscopically to assess hormones, infection, and precancerous or cancerous disease.

Vaginal steaming

Vaginal steaming, also called V-steaming or yoni steaming, is sitting over herb-infused steam to cleanse the vagina or uterus. No scientific evidence supports it; risks include burns, pH disruption, and infections, and medical bodies advise against it.

Vaginal yeast infection

Vaginal yeast infection (vulvovaginal candidiasis, VVC, thrush): Candida overgrowth in the vagina, usually C. albicans; affects ~75% of women; treated with topical or oral azoles, not an STI.

Vaginectomy

Vaginectomy is a gynecologic operation that removes part or all of the vaginal tissue, most often to treat vaginal cancer, precancerous lesions, or selected recurrent gynecologic malignancy.

Vaginismus

Vaginismus, also called genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder (GPPPD) in DSM-5, is involuntary vaginal muscle tightening preventing penetration; prevalence 1-7%, treated with desensitisation, pelvic floor therapy, CBT, and dilators.

Vaginitis

Vaginitis, also called vulvovaginitis, is inflammation or infection of the vagina causing itching, odor, and discharge. Main causes are bacterial vaginosis, candidiasis, trichomoniasis, and atrophic vaginitis; diagnosis requires testing, not history alone.

Vaginoplasty

Vaginoplasty, also called gender-affirming vaginoplasty or neovagina construction, is surgery creating a vagina and vulva for trans women or vaginal agenesis; penile inversion is the most common technique, with 93% pooled satisfaction.

Vaginoscopy

Vaginoscopy is the insertion of an endoscope into the vagina without a speculum or other instrumentation, distending the vagina with saline to visualize the vaginal walls and cervix.

Vagotomy

Vagotomy is a surgical operation dividing branches of the vagus nerve to reduce gastric acid, a standard peptic ulcer treatment from the 1940s until acid-suppressing drugs displaced it.

Vagus nerve

Vagus nerve (cranial nerve X): longest cranial nerve, medulla to abdomen, sensory and parasympathetic fibers. Also covers vagus nerve stimulation, FDA-approved uses, and evidence quality.

Vagus nerve stimulation

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS, taVNS) is electrical neuromodulation of the vagus nerve, FDA-approved since 1997 for drug-resistant epilepsy and later for depression, obesity, stroke rehabilitation, and rheumatoid arthritis, with about 46% of epilepsy patients achieving 50% seizure reduction.

Vaidyajivanam

Vaidyajīvana (वैद्यजीवनम्), also Vaidyajivanam, is a five-chapter Sanskrit Ayurvedic therapeutic poem by Lolimbarāja of Junnar, son of Divākara, framed as a dialogue with his wife and known through Harinātha's 1674 commentary and many manuscripts.

Vaikranta bhasma

Vaikranta bhasma (वैक्रान्त भस्म) is an Ayurvedic calcined mineral preparation from vaikranta, identified as tourmaline (schorl), a diamond substitute in Rasa shastra; iron and silica major constituents, 62.5 mg AFI dose.

Vajra bhasma

Vajra bhasma, also called Heerak bhasma or diamond ash, is an Ayurvedic Rasashastra preparation of incinerated diamond. Listed in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI000353, 8 mg dose) with mercury and arsenic ingredients, used classically as a Rasayana for Arbuda and chronic disease; one published toxic epidermal necrolysis case.

Vajraka ghrta

Vajraka ghrta (वज्रकघृत), an Ayurvedic medicated cow-ghee formulation from Ashtangahrdaya Cikitsasthana 19.18 and AFI 6:39, dose 6 g, indicated for kushta skin diseases and visarpa; distinct from Mahavajraka ghrta and Vajraka taila.

Vajraka Taila

Vajraka Taila (Vajraka Tailam), a classical Ayurvedic medicated oil from Bhaishajya Ratnavali, applied externally for wounds (Vrana) and Kapha-Pitta skin diseases such as Vicharchika; ghee variant Vajraka Ghrita, 6 g dose.

Vajrasana (वज्रासन) (yoga)

Vajrasana (वज्रासन), thunderbolt or diamond pose, is a kneeling yoga seat on the heels used for meditation, breathwork, and after meals; described in the Gheranda Samhita, it loads the deeply flexed knee and is avoided with knee arthritis or injury.

VAKCCT trial

VAKCCT (CSP #562, NCT00847912), the VA Keratinocyte Carcinoma Chemoprevention Trial, a randomized placebo-controlled VA trial of 932 veterans testing one course of 5% fluorouracil cream, which cut year-1 facial squamous cell carcinoma risk by 75% with no lasting effect.

Valaciclovir

Valaciclovir (valacyclovir, Valtrex) is the L-valyl ester prodrug of aciclovir, an oral antiviral for genital herpes, shingles, cold sores, and CMV prophylaxis, with about 54% aciclovir bioavailability, three to five times oral aciclovir.

Valbenazine

Valbenazine (Ingrezza) is a once-daily VMAT2 inhibitor by Neurocrine Biosciences, FDA-approved in 2017 for tardive dyskinesia and in 2023 for Huntington's disease chorea, with a boxed warning for depression and suicidality in HD.

Valentina Vassilyeva

Valentina Vassilyeva, also Mrs Vassilyev, first wife of Feodor Vassilyev of Shuya, Russia; credited by Guinness with 69 children in 27 pregnancies (16 twins, 7 triplets, 4 quadruplets), 1725–1765; claim rests on a 1782 monastery report and is widely doubted.