It is January and I do love January!

It is January and do I love January. No – I am not kidding!! It is a time of new beginnings; new goals and renewing old commitments. At Edmonton Smiles we are committed to helping save lives. One way we do this is we screen all our patients for Sleep Apnea. What the heck is Sleep Apnea you ask? Let me explain. Do you or your spouse snore? Snoring has always been thought of as an annoyance. Research has now shown us that many people who snore actually may stop breathing many times an hour for periods of 10 seconds or more. These “apneas” create a number of changes in the body which can lead to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and are linked to Sudden Death. It is also of huge concern in motor vehicle safety and job safety as over- tiredness leads to a significant number of car and job site accidents. If your snoring is actually sleep apnea it could be shortening your life by 20 to 30 %. And threatening others lives on the job or while driving. It is a life threatening disorder so common that more than 20 million North Americans suffer from it and an estimated 90% of these people do not even know it may be killing them!! We think this is unacceptable as it is very easy to diagnose and very easy to treat. Our mission is to make sure that the people we see every day know what it is and how to get it diagnosed and treated. A few years ago I was talking about snoring and Sleep Apnea to my brother, Bill. He never thought anything of the fact that he snored. He had never noticed himself stop breathing during sleep, he had normal blood pressure, normal neck size and had not noticed he was overly tired. I sent him for a sleep test and he was diagnosed with Severe Sleep Apnea!! HE STOPPED BREATHING 47 TIMES AN HOUR!! He now sleeps with a special machine and he LOVES it. He feels so much better even though he thought he was feeling pretty good before. And the best part for me is knowing that getting that simple test has helped improve Bill’s health and it may even have increased his longevity. Here’s to living past 100, Bill!! So this is why I love January!! A renewed commitment to help save lives this year. What could be more exciting than that? So why don’t you help us save a life this year – Maybe yours! If you or anyone you know snores, please give us a call