FOR A REASON Green Dominates St. Patrick’s Day
Why Green Is the Color of St. Patrick’s Day
There’s only one day of the year you’ll be scorned for not wearing green: St. Patrick’s Day. If you’ve ever gone the whole holiday wearing any other color, you’ve probably been pinched by your peers, family, spouse, and anyone else decked out head to toe in green.
the symbol for the United Irishmen Rebellion became the clover. St. Patrick used the clover to teach the Irish people about the Holy Trinity, and it eventually became a symbol that represented both the saint and the holiday. Another theory comes from Ireland’s nickname, “The Emerald Isle,” which was coined because of the plentiful green foliage that adorns the country’s landscape. It also relates to the green in the flag. Each of the three colors in the flag have their own symbolic meaning: green for the Catholics who live in the country, orange for the Protestants, and white for the peace between the two. Of course, you can’t forget leprechauns, the little creatures that have always been affiliated with the holiday. But just like St. Patrick’s original blue garb, these impish tricksters used to wear red instead of green. While green overtook blue as the shade of choice for St. Patrick, leprechauns began putting on their signature green suits. You might wonder where the tradition of pinching comes from. We can thank the leprechauns for this one. It’s said that if the gold-loving redheads caught you not wearing their favorite color, they would pinch you. To avoid pinches from leprechauns and people alike, be sure to put on some green this St. Patrick’s Day to blend in with the festive crowd.
Green has become so deeply associated with the St. Patrick holiday that many people are unaware that green wasn’t always its
color to symbolize St. Patrick’s Day, and the saint himself is almost always depicted dressed in what’s known as “St. Patrick’s blue.”
What caused the shift from blue to green is more speculation than hard fact. Some have theorized that the change happened sometime in the 17th century, when
Sleep apnea affects millions of Americans, and thousands more are diagnosed every year. It’s a common and ongoing issue that affects many of our patients and their loved ones. The disorder can cause fatigue, brain fog, and elevated blood pressure. Over time, it can be deadly. The term sleep apnea does not refer to one single condition. The root cause differs from patient to patient. In the past, obesity was often linked to the development of sleep apnea, however, we’ve come to learn it’s much more complex. While obesity can impact a person’s breathing while asleep, it’s not always the direct cause of a patient’s sleep apnea. In some cases, the issue is muscular. When we sleep, the muscles in the jaw relax. This can cause the position of the jaw to change. For some people, the jaw sits further back and this can cause an obstruction of the airway during sleep, leading to snoring and sleep apnea. Sleep Apnea and What You Can Do About It Take the Next Step to a Restful Night
longer to get used to. It’s not uncommon for patients to give up on the device simply because it’s uncomfortable or because it takes too long to get used to.
Thankfully, there are alternatives to the CPAP machine. One alternative is to shift the position of the jaw, opening up the airway. If you or someone you know, such as your spouse, snores at night and isn’t getting a restful night’s sleep, we can help. It all starts with a self-test. First, visit eauclairedental.com/sleep-apnea. Here, you will find the link to your free self-test — your first step. Give it a try, and we can help you determine the best next step, so you can begin your journey to a restful night’s sleep.
To treat sleep apnea, most people turn to the CPAP machine. The problem is that CPAP machines don’t work for everyone, and they can take a month or
2
www.eauclairedental.com
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online