{"id":363,"date":"2026-09-07T16:08:36","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T16:08:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/?p=363"},"modified":"2026-09-07T16:08:37","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T16:08:37","slug":"sleep-apnea-on-the-rise-are-you-at-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/2026\/09\/07\/sleep-apnea-on-the-rise-are-you-at-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleep Apnea Is on the Rise! Are You at Risk?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/2026\/09\/07\/sleep-apnea-on-the-rise-are-you-at-risk\/\" class=\"block-image-link\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"178\" src=\"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AdobeStock_133469416-sleep-apnea-clipboard-300x178.jpg\" alt=\"Doctor holding a clipboard that says, \u201csleep apnea\u201d \" class=\"wp-image-364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AdobeStock_133469416-sleep-apnea-clipboard-300x178.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AdobeStock_133469416-sleep-apnea-clipboard-768x455.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AdobeStock_133469416-sleep-apnea-clipboard-400x237.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AdobeStock_133469416-sleep-apnea-clipboard-549x325.jpg 549w, https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/AdobeStock_133469416-sleep-apnea-clipboard.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to current estimates, around 30 million people in the United States have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/sleep-apnea-therapy.html\">sleep apnea<\/a>. However, that is just a rough guess; countless cases are still undiagnosed. Even more concerning is the reality that experts expect sleep apnea to become much more common in the common years. In fact, a <a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.resmed.com\/news-releases\/news-details\/2025\/Obstructive-Sleep-Apnea-Expected-to-Affect-Nearly-77-million-U-S--Adults-by-2050-New-Resmed-Study-Finds\/default.aspx\">study from ResMed<\/a> states that around 77 million adults will have this condition by the year 2050!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These numbers give rise to an important question: Are <em>you<\/em> vulnerable to sleep apnea? This blog post shares information that can help you protect your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Are Sleep Apnea Cases Increasing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are a few factors that may be contributing to the predicted increase in sleep apnea cases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Better awareness:<\/strong> Both medical professionals and the general public are becoming more aware of the signs of sleep apnea and its associated health risks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Increasing obesity:<\/strong> Even with advances in weight management medicine, obesity rates are still quite high in the U.S. Extra fat around the neck and abdomen can contribute to the breathing obstructions that are characteristic of sleep apnea.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>An aging population:<\/strong> Older adults make up a greater percentage of the population than they did in the past. Increasing age is a significant risk factor for sleep apnea.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Are You at Risk?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is important to note that anyone can develop sleep apnea. However, certain groups are at a higher risk. Here are some of the most common risk factors to keep in mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Obesity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A large neck circumference<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Smoking<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Male biological gender<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Advancing age<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Certain anatomical abnormalities, such as enlarged tonsils or dental misalignment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Protect Yourself<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You should be aware of the quality of your sleep and seek medical assistance if you experience ongoing symptoms of sleep apnea, such as loud snoring, constant feelings of tiredness, frequent nighttime urination, and observed pauses in breathing. A sleep test can reveal if you have sleep apnea, how severe it is, and viable treatment options. Many people can manage their condition through simple means, such as a custom oral appliance from a dentist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the quality of your sleep seems to be just fine, that is wonderful! You might be able to prevent or delay the onset of sleep apnea through preventive measures, including weight management and regular physical activity. Maintaining a clean home, not smoking, and not overindulging in alcohol can also be helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sleep apnea is dangerous, and it is affecting more and more people! Pay attention to the quality of your sleep so you can take timely steps to protect your health and quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Meet the Practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Abington Family Dental Care, our highly skilled team is committed to providing top-quality services to our community. We are even qualified to offer sleep apnea treatment in the form of custom oral appliances, which gently reposition the jaw to facilitate better breathing during sleep. If you would like to learn more about this option or schedule an appointment, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/contact-us.html\">contact our office<\/a> at 781-780-2658.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"According to current estimates, around 30 million people in the United States have sleep apnea. However, that is just a rough guess; countless cases are still undiagnosed. Even more concerning is the reality that experts expect sleep apnea to become much more common in the common years. In fact, a study from ResMed states that around 77 million adults will have this condition by the year 2050! These numbers give rise to an important question: Are you vulnerable to sleep apnea? This blog post shares information that can help you protect your health. <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/2026\/09\/07\/sleep-apnea-on-the-rise-are-you-at-risk\/\">(Read More)<\/a>","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-363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=363"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":365,"href":"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363\/revisions\/365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.abingtonfamilydentalcare.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}