Last week Esther (our current epilepsy advisor) and Maria Lowe had a fantastic time with Craig from Raglan Community Radio. They had a wide ranging chat about everything from what is epilepsy itself to the petition we’ve put before parliament on providing access to the VNS implant for those with intractable epilepsy in New Zealand. Craigs show can be found here. If you wish, visit
Read More »Please support the Epilepsy Waikato Charitable Trust’s (EWCT) latest petition to parliament. We need your vote/signature urgently please (before 18 June 2023). Sign the Petition Please share the petition to colleagues and friends who may also like to support it with their votes. Petition request: That the House of Representatives urge Whatu Ora Health New Zealand to fund vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy for
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EWCT brings you the latest news on epilepsy-related articles Just as epilepsy affects us all differently, it can impact men in ways that are different from women’s experience. It can also change throughout a person’s life, from childhood through adulthood. This fact sheet is designed to help men understand better how seizures can impact on their life and ways to manage. https://www.efepa.org/living-with-epilepsy/men-with-epilepsy/#ME1 Specialised diets can
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The Daily Encourager has published an article on EWCT’s new book “Understanding and Managing Epilepsy“, and EWCT’s donation of 100 books to the Waikato Hospital. “These books will be very useful for hospital clients with epilepsy, especially those newly diagnosed, and family members, who will be keen to learn more about the condition and what sort of help is available in the community” Have
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EWCT brings you the latest news on epilepsy-related articles Both migraine and seizures are episodic conditions, meaning that a person does not experience symptoms all the time, and flares may come in episodes. Certain things can trigger an attack of either condition or increase the likelihood of them occurring This article looks at the connection and explores the research into the link between seizures and
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Epilepsy affects at least 50,000 New Zealanders. The regional epilepsy provider in the Waikato region, Epilepsy Waikato Charitable Trust (EWCT), has just published a new book on epilepsy, “Understanding and Managing Epilepsy – an Introductory Guide”. Written by Maria Lowe, the epilepsy advisor for EWCT, and David Lowe, chair of EWCT’s Trust Board, it is the first general book on epilepsy to be published in
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EWCT brings you the latest news on epilepsy-related articles Generalized seizures can cause injuries to the tongue, inside the cheek and it may also damage the temporomandibular joints ( the hinge joint between the temporal bone and the lower jaw.) A person during a seizure could also aspirate a tooth into the lungs. Unfortunately, the drugs used to control this disorder can also produce side
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EWCT brings you the latest news on epilepsy-related articles Cannabidiol (CBD) does not cause a high. CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are two of the most well-known compounds isolated from the Cannabis sativa plant. It is THC, not CBD, that creates the ‘high-feeling’ people associate with cannabis use. This article discusses the differences between CBD and THC and explains why these compounds produce such drastically different
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EWCT brings you the latest news on epilepsy-related articles Two international epilepsy organisations (the IBE and ILAE) share a joint statement on epilepsy and racism. https://www.ibe-epilepsy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ibe-and-ilae-joint-statement-on-racism.pdf As scientists began to unlock the secrets of the brain, terminology for seizures changed over time. In 2017, the International League Against Epilepsy released its newest classifications of epileptic seizure types. These divide epileptic seizures into categories based on
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EWCT brings you the latest news on epilepsy-related articles The use of the ketogenic diet for those people critically ill with Covid 19 may just help in their recovery. The mortality rate is approximately 5% of reported cases and over half of patients require mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure. The ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carbohydrate, adequate-protein diet that promotes metabolic ketosis (ketone
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