Prevalence of Snoring among Stroke Patients and Associated Factors: Case Study of Ilorin Metropolis

Abstract

Snoring is a hoarse or harsh sound from nose or mouth that occurs when breathing is partially obstructed during sleep, and it has been implicated as a predisposing factor to stroke in some individuals. Unfortunately, the association between snoring and stroke have not been fully explored in Nigeria, hence the need for this study.

This study involves 182 stroke patients from two public hospitals in Ilorin Metropolis. Patients were interviewed with the aid of questionnaire to determine the percentage of some specific parameters associated with snoring, which include; stroke patients that snore, stroke onset, sleeping position and snore severity.

The result revealed that out of 182 stroke patients, 131 (72%) snores while 51 (28%) do not snore. Consequently, out of this 131 stroke patients that snore, 27 patients (20.6%) were mild, 92 patients (70.2%) were moderate, 12 patients (9.2%) were severe. Thirty eight patients (29%) experienced stroke while sleeping, 93 patients (71%) experienced stroke while awake. Sleeping position enquiry revealed that 58 patients (44.3%) often sleep supine (back), 65 patients (49.6%) often sleep on their side and 8 patients (6.1%) often sleep prone (chest) before the onset of their stroke.

This study revealed that snoring is highly prevalent among stroke patients in Ilorin metropolis which indicates possibility of an association between snoring and stroke.

Key words: stroke, snoring, prevalence, epidemiology.