Vaginal Infections Glossary of Terms

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Abdominal: Relating to the abdomen, the belly, that part of the body that contains all of ...

Abdominal pain: Pain in the belly. Abdominal pain can be acute or chronic. It may reflect ...

Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Acidophilus: Bacteria found in yogurt that can help restore a supportive bacterial environ...

Antifungal: A medication that limits or prevents the growth of yeasts and other fungal org...

Antifungal medication: A drug used to treat fungal infections.

Antihistamines: Drugs that combat the histamine released during an allergic reaction by bl...

Anus: The opening of the rectum to the outside of the body.

Back pain: Pain felt in the low or upper back. Causes of pain in the low and upper back in...

Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent (free-living) ...

Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria, as in a bacterial lung infection.

Bacterial vaginosis: A vaginal condition characterized by an abnormal vaginal discharge du...

Biopsy: The removal of a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope to check for ...

Birth control: Birth control is the use of any practices, methods, or devices to prevent p...

Bumps: The raised area of a bump or bruise results from blood leaking from these injured b...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Candida albicans: A yeast-like fungal organism found in small amounts in the normal human...

Candidiasis: Disease caused by the yeast Candida albicans. Candida albicans can cause vagi...

Cervical: Having to do with any kind of neck, including the neck on which the head is perc...

Cervical cancer: Cancer of the entrance to the womb (uterus). The cervix is the lower, na...

Cervix: The cervix is the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb). The uterus, a hollow, ...

Colposcopy: A procedure in which a lighted magnifying instrument called a colposcope (or v...

Cure: 1. To heal, to make well, to restore to good health. 2. A time withou...

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Difficult urination: See: Dysuria.

Discharge: 1.The flow of fluid from part of the body, such as from the nose or vag...

Dizziness: Painless head discomfort with many possible causes including disturbances of ...

Douche: Usually, a stream of water applied into the vagina for cleansing purposes. A douch...

Douching: Using water or a medicated solution to clean the vagina and cervix or any other ...

Ectopic: In the wrong place, out of place. For example, an ectopic kidney is a kidney that...

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

Esophagus: The tube that connects the pharynx (throat) with the stomach. The esophagus lie...

Estrogen: A female steroid hormone that is produced by the ovaries and, in lesser amounts,...

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Fungal: Pertaining to a fungus. For example, a fungal skin infection.

Fungi: Plural of fungus.

Fungus: A single-celled or multicellular organism. Fungi can be true pathogens (such as hi...

Genital: Pertaining to the external and/or internal organs of reproduction.

Genitalia: The male or female reproductive organs. The genitalia include internal and exte...

Gland: A group of cells that secrete a substance for use in the body. For example, the thy...

Gonorrhea: A bacterial infection that is transmitted by sexual contact. Gonorrhea is one o...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart valves: There are four heart valves. All are one-way valves. Blood entering the ...

HIV: Acronym for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the cause of AIDS (acquired immunodefi...

Hygiene: The science of preventive medicine and the preservation of health. Also commonly ...

Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

Immune system: A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing a person from every...

Incidence: The frequency with which something, such as a disease or trait, appears in a pa...

Infant: A young baby, from birth to 12 months of age.

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Infertility: Diminished or absent ability to conceive and bear offspring. A couple is cons...

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Insertion: A chromosome abnormality that is due to insertion of a segment from one chromos...

Intrauterine: In the uterus.

Itching: An uncomfortable sensation in the skin that feels as if something is crawling on ...

Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a...

Lactobacillus: A bacterium normally found in the mouth, intestinal tract, and vagina. Lact...

Lactobacillus acidophilus: The bacteria found in milk and fermented milk products, partic...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Menopause: The time in a woman's life when menstrual periods permanently stop; it is also...

Menstrual: Pertaining to menstruation (the menses), as in last menstrual period, menstrua...

Menstrual cycle: The monthly cycle of changes in the ovaries and the lining of the uteru...

Microscope: An optical instrument that augments the power of the eye to see small objects....

Mucous: Pertaining to mucus, a thick fluid produced by the lining of some tissues of the b...

Mucus: A thick fluid that is produced by the lining of some organs of the body.

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Ovulation: The release of the ripe egg (ovum) from the ovary. The egg is released when the...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Painful urination: See: Dysuria.

Pap test: A screening test for cervical cancer that involves the microscopic examination o...

Parasite: A plant or an animal organism that lives in or on another and takes its nourishm...

Pelvic: Having to do with the pelvis, the lower part of the abdomen, located between the h...

Penile: Of or pertaining to the penis.

Penis: The external male sex organ. The penis contains two chambers, the corpora cavernosa...

Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

Premature baby: A baby born before 37 weeks of gestation have passed. Historically, the de...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Rash: Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. A rash can be caused by an underlying medical c...

Recurrence: The return of a sign, symptom, or disease after a remission. The reappearance ...

Recurrent: Appearing or occurring again. For example, a recurrent fever is a fever that ha...

Sexually transmitted disease: Any disease transmitted by sexual contact; caused by microo...

Speculum: An instrument that is used to widen the opening of the vagina so that the cervix...

Steroid: One of a large group of chemical substances classified by a specific carbon struc...

Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

Strep: Very commonly used shortened form of Streptococcus, a very common and import...

Strep throat: Strep throat is an infection caused by a type of bacteria called streptococc...

Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional fact...

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

Systemic: Affecting the entire body. A systemic disease such as diabetes can affect the wh...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Throat: The throat is the anterior (front) portion of the neck beginning at the back of th...

Topical: Pertaining to a particular surface area. For example, a topical agent is applied ...

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Trichomonas: A single-celled protozoan parasite best known in medicine because one species...

Trichomonas vaginalis: A protozoan parasite that causes vaginitis. See: Trichomonas.

Trichomoniasis: Infection with trichomonas, in humans with Trichomonas vaginalis.

Tubes: The "tubes" are medically known as the Fallopian tubes. There are two Fallopian tub...

Urethra: The tube that leads from the bladder and transports and discharges urine outside ...

Urinary: Having to do with the function or anatomy of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or ur...

Urinary tract: The organs of the body that produce, store, and discharge urine. These orga...

Urinary tract infection: An infection of the kidney, ureter, bladder, or urethra. Abbrevia...

Urine: Liquid waste produced by the kidneys. Urine is a clear, transparent fluid that norm...

Uterus: A hollow, pear-shaped organ that is located in a woman's lower abdomen, between th...

Vagina: The muscular canal that extends from the cervix to the outside of the body. It is ...

Vaginal discharge: Vaginal discharge is a fluid produced by glands in the vaginal wall and...

Vaginal yeast infection: Infection of the vagina caused by a fungus known as Candida...

Vaginitis: Inflammation of the vagina. The vagina is the muscular canal extending from th...

Vulva: The female external genital organs, including the labia, clitoris, and entrance to ...

Yeast infection: Overgrowth of yeast can affect the skin (yeast rash), mouth (thrush), di...

Yogurt: A common dish made of milk curdled and fermented with a culture of Lactobacillus (...