The most complete medical information written by the best doctors

What is WALANT? WALANT stands for Wide Awake Local Anaesthetic No Tourniquet and is a surgical technique allowing a surgeon to operate on your hand while you are awake. By injecting lidocaine (local anaesthetic) in combination with epinephrine (adrenaline) into the hand, it avoids the need for general anaesthesia and helps to control bleeding so a tourniquet isn’t required.

​What is Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinaemia? Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinaemiais a rare type of cancer, in which the bone marrow creates an excess of abnormal lymphoplasmacytic cells (a type of white blood cell). These cells crowd out healthy blood cells and secrete high amounts of the antibody immunoglobulin M (lgM), which can thicken the blood.

What are warts? Warts are hard growths that can occur in various areas of the body, caused by a viral infection. They are more frequent in children and teenagers and are usually benignant formations (not cancerous ones). Warts aren’t normally painful. Healing takes from a few weeks to six months with adequate treatment. There are several types of warts. The most common ones are: Common warts: these usually occur on the fingers, hands, elbows, and...

What is a wasp sting allergy? A wasp sting can cause severe reactions to people who are allergic to the poisonous substance injected by these insects’ stings. After being stung by a wasp, a mild swelling and redness are the normal reactions to the toxins contained in their venom. However, a more severe reaction is indicative of allergy. In this case, a wasp sting could be life-threatening, and you should seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Watery eyes, also known as epiphora, is a condition where there is an overflow of tears onto the face. It is very common and can develop at any age, although it is more common in babies and people over the age of 60. It may affect one or both eyes and usually manages to get better without any treatmentor, if need be, it caneasily and effectively be treated.

What is weight management? Weight management is a strategy to stay healthy and prevent future diseases. It is quite often used for people who have a chronic illness. However, it is more often used for people who need to lose or put on weight, in stages of growth, and for people who have eating disorders.

What is weight loss? Weight loss is a decrease in body weight by either following a diet and exercise regime or because of involuntarily circumstances such as illness. Body weight is determined by the amount of energy that is consumed as food and the amount of energy expended during daily activities. If a person wants to intentionally lose weight, it is recommended that they eat a lower quantity of wholesome and filling foods to create a calorie deficit. This is in comparison to...

What is well-woman screening? A well woman screening is an exam offered to women to review elements of their reproductive health and other areas. It ispreventative health screening that is designed to address specific health needs of women, it also identifiesany early signs of degenerative illness or other potential health risk factors.

What is wheezing? Wheezing is a whistling sound that can occur while breathing. The sound can be heard more often when air is expelled. This can occurs whe the respiratory passages are too narrow. What are the causes of wheezing? When wheezing is recurrent, it may indicaterespiratory problems, such as: Aspiration of a...

What is whiplash? Whiplash is an injury to the neck caused by a sudden movement of the head (backwards and/or forwards) which stretches and damages the soft tissues in the neck (they are sprained). Whiplash is commonly caused by car accidents. What are the symptoms of...