Residents are snoring away in West Kelowna.
A recent study suggests that 40 per cent of Canadians will experience a sleep disorder during their lifetime. At a growing chain of B.C. sleep clinics, the staff has a saying, better sleep, better life. As Snore MD celebrates the opening of its five new sleep apnea clinics, the team reflects on the difference they’ve made for families.
“It’s incredibly rewarding,” said Michael Davis, Snore MD team leader and a registered respiratory therapist. He recalls a man who wandered into their Langley sleep clinic last spring, with sallow skin and baggy eyes, desperate for help with his sleep disorder after having fallen asleep at the wheel.
“He worked long hours and couldn’t get to a health care professional to get help for his exhaustion. After working with us, his life has completely changed. He has a new outlook on life, and his wife and even his kids are happier because he’s a rested, positive guy. He comes in all the time and drops off muffins for staff because he’s so grateful,” said Davis.
Snore MD uses the latest technology and treatments—supervised by its team of respiratory therapists, doctors, and nurses, all experts in sleep disorders—to diagnose and help to solve sleeping issues such as sleep apnea, snoring, restless sleep, and insomnia. Recently, the company has opened a clinic in May in West Kelowna on Dobbin Road.
The rapid, dramatic impact of BC-based Snore MD’s work has led to expansion throughout the Lower Mainland and now to the Okanagan following the opening of the flagship Langley sleep apnea clinic last February.
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Snore MD also offers a free online sleep test for anyone who feels they may be suffering from a sleep disorder, the most serious being sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can cause breathing to stop repeatedly while sleeping. These breathing pauses or ‘apneas’ can last up to 30 seconds and can happen many times throughout the night, leaving a person feeling tired and lacking motor function.
“Traditionally, sleep apnea was thought of as a male disorder, however, females are just as much at-risk,” said Davis.
If left untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, motor vehicle collisions, depression, decreased sexual function, and work-related injuries, according to Snore MD.
“We have plans to expand more clinics throughout the province. We plan to open a clinic every six weeks for the next two years,” says Davis. “It’s been incredible to know that we can affect so many people’s lives by raising the level of health care standards.”
Unlike most medical clinics, what makes Snore MD Sleep Apnea clinics unique is that they are open six days a week, Monday through Saturday, and an appointment is not needed to walk in and talk to a specialist. Snore MD’s services can be offered in cooperation with or without a family doctor, as no doctor referral is necessary to attend any of Snore MD’s B.C. sleep clinics, according to the company.
