Medical Dictionary
Waist - height ratio
| Waist - height ratio is the ratio of your waist circumference to your height. Waist - height ratio can be used as a measure of obesity. |
Waist Circumference
Waist circumference (WC) is a good indicator of abdominal fat and can be used to indicate health risks. It is measured by putting an unstretched tape measure around the narrowest level of your waist over light or no clothing. Waist circumference can be used as a measure of obesity. For more information, see Assessing Central Obesity: Waist Circumference. |
Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR)
The waist to hip ratio (WHR) is a simple measure of central obesity. WHR is calculated by dividing your waist circumference by your hip circumference. The score from the WHR predicts the risk of developing several conditions associated with excess abdominal fat. Excess abdominal fat distribution is indicated by a WHR greater than 0.8 for women and 0.9 for men. For more information, see Assessing Central Obesity: Waist to Hip Ratio. |
Walking bleach technique
| Walking bleach technique is the technique that is commonly used to bleach those teeth that have had a root canal treatment performed, and have discoloured as a result of it. |
Warm Down
Warming down is a type of active exercise recovery. It usually involves 5–15 minutes of extra exercise after the main exercise is completed. The warm down should be low intensity to allow the heart rate to gradually drop. Warming down also prevents muscle stiffening. The warm down does not have to be the same type of exercise as the main activity. |
Wart
| Virus caused, benign, small tumour-like epidermal growth. |
Water pipes
Water pipes are devices which allow flavoured tobacco to be burned in a smoking bowl. The smoke is then passed through water which cools it before it is inhaled. More information on tobacco |
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)
The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children is a large series of tests that where originally developed in 1949 and are now in their 4th edition (WISC-IV). These tests look at the areas of verbal comprehension, reasoning, speed and working memory. To test for attention, the most important part is the subtest for working memory. This includes the Digit Span (the child is asked to repeat ever longer series of numbers) and Letter Number Sequencing tests (the child is asked to repeat sequences of letters and numbers). |
Weight lifting
Weight lifting involves lifting a heavy weight from the floor to a specified position above the ground, holding it for a period and then putting the weight back on the ground. Weight lifting is mostly used to improve power and stimulate muscle hypertrophy. |
Weight Loss Drugs
Weight loss drugs are designed to help people who are classified as obese lose weight. Weight loss drugs should only be used in those who:
Weight loss drugs can be classified into 3 broad categories:
For more information, see Weight Loss Drugs. |
Wet dreams
| Wet dreams, alaso known as nocturnal emissions, refer to an involuntary discharge of semen during sleep often accompanied by an erotic dream. They generally begin to occur during puberty in the male. |
Wet macular degeneration
| Wet macular degeneration (also known as neovascular or exudative macular degeneration) is a form of macular degeneration characterised by rapid onset, with significant vision loss occurring within a year of the condition developing. It is caused by a process known as choroidal neovascularisation, which refers to the growth of abnormal blood vessels around the macular. Only around 10% of macular degeneration is neovascular in origin. However, this form of the condition accounts for some 90% of macular degeneration-related blindness More information on macular degeneration. |
Whey
| Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. |
Whiplash
| Whiplash injury is a soft tissue injury to the neck, or a neck strain/sprain. The neck is made up by the cervical spine, the first seven vertebrae of the back. Areas of the vertebrae commonly affected are the intervertebral joints (the joints between each vertebrae), the intervertebral discs (the soft material that cushions one vertebrae from another), and the ligaments, muscles and nerve roots that hold the vertebrae together. |
White matter
| White matter makes up part of the central nervous system and has a white appearance in fresh tissue. It is mainly composed of axons, which give it its white colour because of a membrane around the axons known as a myelin sheath. |
Whitehead
| An acne lesion that forms when oil and skin cells block the opening of a hair follicle. This is why whiteheads are called closed comedomes. |
Wild yam
| Wild yams including Dioscorea villosa aretubular root crops of north America. They are also used for a range of medicinal purposes, including to relieve hot flushes associated with menopause. There is however little evidence that they are effective in treating menopausal symptoms. |
Wilson's Disease
Wilson's disease is an inherited disorder characterised by an excess accumulation of copper in the body.
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Wireless capsule enteroscopy
Wireless capsule enteroscopy (also known as capsule endoscopy, wireless endoscopy, and the "pill cam") is a diagnostic technique used to examine the gastrointestinal tract. The procedure involves a pill sized video capsule being swallowed and used to take pictures as it travels through the digestive system. |
Withdrawal bleeds
Withdrawal bleed is bleeding that resembles your period. This usually occurs because of a change in hormone levels that "destabilises" the lining of the uterus just enough for some bleeding to happen. This bleeding is NOT a true period! This can also occur after a course of progesterone therapy. (i.e. combination hormone replacement therapy) |
Withdrawal Method
Withdrawal, also known as coitus interruptus, is a contraceptive method in which intercourse is interrupted before the man ejaculates, so that he can withdraw his penis from his partner's vagina. In doing so, he prevents sperm from entering his partner's uterus and thus prevents pregnancy. Withdrawal is one of the least effective contraceptive methods. However, it provides far greater protection from pregnancy than not using any contraception at all. For more information, see Withdrawal Contraceptive Method. |
Withdrawal Symptoms
| Withdrawal Symptoms, in relation to alcohol, may occur in an alcohol dependent person when a he/she stops drinking. Physical symptoms include shaking, sweating, nausea and vomitting, while psychological symptoms include hallucinations and delirium |
Work life balance
Work life balance refers to an individual's ability to balance the commitments, responsibilities and goals relating to their paid work (e.g. working hours, expected outputs of the job, career advancement), with personal commitments, responsibilities and desires (e.g. parenting, recreational activities, community commitments, further education). Individuals who maintain a healthy balance between work and life achieve a sense of wellbeing and feel that they not only have control over their working life. On the contrary individuals who do not find a healthy balance between work and life experience conflict between work and personal commitments, known as work life conflict. These individuals may have to forgo dedicating time to life in order to fulfil work responsibilities or vice versa. For more information, see Work Life Balance. |
Work life conflict
Work life conflict occurs when an individual is unable to balance their personal and work commitments and has to forego dedicating time to their personal life, in order to fulfil their work commitments. Work life conflict is associated with numerous health risks, in particular an increased risk of psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety. For more information, see Work Life Balance. |
Working Memory
| Working Memory is used to describe the part of our memory that stores information very briefly. All information is first processed by our working memory then by rehersing that information we can retain it for a while longer. For example we may be introduced to a person at a party, initially when we hear their name it will be stored in our working memory. However if we do not reherse that name by repeating it back to the person we will forget it very quickly |
Wound
| Due to an injury causing a breach of the skin. |
Writer's Cramp
Writer's cramp is the name of a localised dystonia that occurs in the arm and hand.
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