Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of clinical symptoms related to abnormal swallowing in a large sample of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients.
Methods: Oropharyngeal symptoms for abnormal swallowing were assessed by a self-administered questionnaire in 507 consecutive patients (females: 65, males: 442; mean age: 49.6 ± 12.6 years old) with clinical symptoms of OSAS, enrolled for cardiorespiratory evaluation.
Results: Overall, 16.2% of patients (82/507) had at least one symptom for abnormal swallowing and 6.3% (32/507) had two or more symptoms. The most frequent symptom was difficulty with coughing up phlegm during or after a meal (8.3%). Demographic, sleep, and clinical variables did not differ between the patients with and without abnormal symptoms.
Conclusions: The results of the current study showed that 16% of middle-aged OSAS patients reported pharyngeal symptoms related to abnormal swallowing, regardless of the severity of OSAS.
Keywords: Abnormal swallowing; Airway protection; Dysphagia; Obstructive sleep apnea; Prevalence; Self-report.