{"id":252,"date":"2026-06-19T13:18:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T13:18:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.weldondental.com\/blog\/?p=252"},"modified":"2026-07-13T20:49:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T20:49:21","slug":"rise-of-sleep-apnea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.weldondental.com\/blog\/2026\/06\/19\/rise-of-sleep-apnea\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Sleep Apnea is Currently on the Rise"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.weldondental.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AdobeStock_321863239-3-1.jpeg\" alt=\"Man with sleep apnea lying awake in bed\" class=\"wp-image-253\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>In recent years, researchers have seen a significant surge in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weldondental.com\/sleep-apnea-treatment.html\">sleep apnea<\/a> diagnoses. The disorder has grown more common, and this trend is expected to continue over the next three decades. If you want to protect yourself from sleep apnea, then it\u2019s important to make sure that you understand the factors that are contributing to the rise of the condition as well as the steps that can be taken to address it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Does It Mean When You Have Sleep Apnea?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sleep apnea is characterized by repeated pauses in your breathing that occur while you\u2019re asleep. Each pause can force you to wake up briefly for air, thus interrupting the sleep cycle and making it more difficult to get the quality rest that your body needs. In many cases, sleep apnea is the result of the airway becoming partially or completely obstructed when the muscles in the throat are too relaxed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Factors for the Rise of Sleep Apnea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The increased prevalence of sleep apnea in recent years can be attributed to a number of factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Greater Awareness: <\/strong>More people are aware of the potential warning signs of sleep apnea nowadays, making them more likely to seek a diagnosis.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Obesity: <\/strong>Being overweight is a major risk factor for sleep apnea. Thus, as obesity rates continue to increase around the world, it makes sense that sleep apnea would also grow more common.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>An Aging Population: <\/strong>People are living longer nowadays. This is noteworthy because as you grow older, your risk of developing sleep apnea goes up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Can You Do About Sleep Apnea?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Untreated sleep apnea can put you at a higher risk for heart attacks and other life-threatening health issues. As such, if you are experiencing symptoms that can be associated with sleep-disordered breathing (such as loud snoring or waking up gasping for air), you should make arrangements to have a sleep study performed so that the issue can be properly diagnosed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the results of the study indicate that you have sleep apnea, your next step is to choose an appropriate form of treatment. In many cases, you can get the problem under control by wearing a customized oral appliance. This device moves the lower jaw slightly forward, which helps keep the airway open while you sleep. Many patients prefer oral appliances over traditional CPAP machines since they are quieter, less bulky, and easier to pack when traveling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With sleep apnea on the rise, it\u2019s more important than ever to keep an eye out for warning signs of sleep-disordered breathing. Having the issue diagnosed and treated promptly could make all the difference for your health in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Ryan Weldon studied dentistry at the Medical College of Georgia, and he has completed the MCG General Practice Residency program. Dr. Leigh Weldon is a board-certified pediatric dentist with over a decade of experience. Together, our husband-and-wife dental team is able to offer our patients a comprehensive menu of dental services that even includes personalized oral appliances for sleep apnea. If you need a solution for sleep-disordered breathing, you can schedule a consultation with one of our dentists at Weldon Dental of Rome by visiting our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weldondental.com\/request-an-appointment.html\">website<\/a> or calling (706) 232-2082.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In recent years, researchers have seen a significant surge in sleep apnea diagnoses. The disorder has grown more common, and this trend is expected to continue over the next three decades. If you want to protect yourself from sleep apnea, then it\u2019s important to make sure that you understand the factors that are contributing to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Rise of Sleep Apnea Rome, GA | Weldon Dental of Rome<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sleep apnea has grown significantly more prevalent in recent years. 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