Snoring, sleep apnoea and swallowing dysfunction: a videoradiographic study.
OBJECTIVE
Snoring is associated with subclinical pharyngeal swallowing dysfunction, probably owing to vibration trauma to the pharyngeal tissues caused by snoring. Negative intrathoracic pressure during apnoea causes stretching of the velum and pharynx. The aim of this study was to investigate whether patients with severe sleep apnoea have an increased frequency of videoradiographically diagnosed subclinical pharyngeal swallowing dysfunction compared with snoring patients with or without mild sleep apnoea as well as with non-snoring controls.


METHODS
Eighty consecutive patients referred for sleep apnoea recordings because of snoring were examined. Fourteen of these patients were excluded because they suffered from dysphagia. Fifteen non-snoring, non-dysphagic volunteers served as controls. Videoradiography was performed to examine the oral and pharyngeal swallowing function in patients and controls. Overnight sleep apnoea recordings were used to evaluate the apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI).


RESULTS
Pharyngeal swallowing dysfunction was observed in 34/66 (52%) of the snoring patients and in 1/15 (7%) of the non-snoring controls. Pharyngeal swallowing dysfunction was observed in 50% of patients with an AHI of >or=30, in 61% of patients with an AHI of 5-29 and in 43% of patients with an AHI of <5. There was no significant difference in the frequency of pharyngeal swallowing dysfunction between snoring patients with different AHIs.


CONCLUSIONS
Snoring patients run an increased risk of developing subclinical pharyngeal swallowing dysfunction independent of concomitant sleep apnoea.
Levring Jäghagen
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Department of Odontology/Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Ume University, Ume, Sweden. Eva.Levring.Jaghagen@odont.umu.se
Franklin
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KA
Isberg
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A
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002933:Cineradiography; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010608:Pharyngeal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012913:Snoring / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*