Search Results (14)

Background/Objectives: During pregnancy, the body undergoes numerous physiological changes, many of which are driven by significant hormonal shifts. Pregnancy rhinitis is a condition characterized by nasal congestion that occurs during pregnancy without any other signs of respiratory infection or known allergic causes. The aim of the study was to examine the impact of pregnancy rhinitis on the sense of smell. Specifically, it focused on determining how the nasal congestion associated with pregnancy rhinitis may alter olfactory perception in pregnant people. Methods: The study group comprised fifty women, aged 18 to 41, all in their third trimester of pregnancy. The control group was made up of 25 non-pregnant women between the ages of 25 and 31. Olfactory function was assessed using Sniffin’ Sticks, and each participant completed the SNOT-22 questionnaire. Additionally, ENT examination, nasofiberoscopy, rhinomanometry were performed. Results: The comparison between the control and study groups in terms of detection, discrimination, and identification test scores revealed statistically significant differences. The study group demonstrated lower odor average test scores, indicating worse olfactory acuity and poorer identification abilities, with these effects being strong. In addition, the study group showed a lower discrimination test score compared to the study group, though this effect was weak. On the other hand, the control group showed a higher level of discrimination test score compared to the study group, though this effect was weak. However, the pregnant women did not perceive any subjective impairment in their sense of smell even though they had smell disturbances confirmed in the Sniffin Stick test. The SNOT-22 questionnaire results indicated that the study group reported subjectively worse nasal patency compared to the control group. Conclusions: This controlled study demonstrated that olfactory disturbances, confirmed by the Sniffin’ Sticks test, affected half of the pregnant participants, with reduced smell sensitivity observed in advanced pregnancy compared to non-pregnant controls. Notably, more than half of the women with objectively confirmed olfactory deficits did not report subjective complaints, highlighting the need for greater clinical awareness of sensory changes during pregnancy. Pregnancy-related swelling of the nasal mucosa leads to impaired upper airway airflow, contributing to a reduction in olfactory sensitivity. Full article

Background: Following the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many patients have reported ongoing smell and taste issues. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction among patients with a history of COVID-19 and its association with autonomic dysfunction and disability. Patient and Methods: This case–control study included a COVID-19 group (n = 82) and a control group (n = 82). Olfactory dysfunction, including parosmia and taste problems, was explored using self-reports and the Quick Smell Identification Test (QSIT). The association between post-COVID-19 disability severity and taste and smell alterations was also analyzed. Moreover, autonomic function was evaluated using the Composite Autonomic Symptom Scale-31 (COMPASS-31) to assess the association between autonomic and olfactory dysfunction. Results: Significantly higher rates of ongoing smell (26.8%) and taste (14.6%) dysfunction were reported for the post-COVID-19 group compared to the control group. Post-COVID-19 patients reported 36.6 times more smell issues and 8.22 times more taste issues than controls. Parosmia scores were significantly worse in the post-COVID-19 group, while QSIT scores showed no significant difference between the groups. However, those with worse QSIT scores exhibited significantly more ongoing smell issues. No significant association was observed between disability and altered smell or taste. Higher secretomotor dysfunction scores were significantly associated with abnormal QSIT scores and worse parosmia scores; the other domains of the COMPASS-31 scale showed no significant associations. Conclusions: The findings indicated a potential link between autonomic and olfactory dysfunction. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying persistent olfactory and autonomic dysfunction in post-COVID-19 patients. Full article

Objective: Childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (CECTS) is associated with cognitive, behavioral, and language difficulties. These epileptic discharges predominantly occur in the temporal lobe, which is known to be involved in olfactory functions. This study aims to assess olfactory dysfunction in patients with CECTS. Methods: This study included patients diagnosed with CECTS who were attending follow-ups at the Department of Child Neurology between January 2022 and July 2023. Olfactory function was evaluated using the Sniffin’ Sticks (Burghart GmbH, Wedel, Germany) 12-point screening test, which was administered to 44 patients and 35 controls. The smell test and the final control EEGs were performed simultaneously. Results: A total of 44 patients and 35 control subjects were enrolled in this study. The smell scores were significantly lower in the patient group compared to the control group (p = 0.029). The patient group had a very high prevalence of anosmia compared to the control group. The normosmia rate in the control group was significantly higher. No significant difference was observed in the smell scores based on EEG findings or antiepileptic drug type. Conclusions: Olfactory dysfunction was identified in patients with CECTS compared to healthy controls, yielding results consistent with findings for other types of epilepsy. Olfactory dysfunction was detected in a greater frequency among the patients diagnosed with CECTS than among the healthy control group, and similar results were obtained with other types of epilepsy. It was deduced that these patients may experience problems with smell sensitivity throughout their lives. The most important result of this study is that this condition should be taken into account in regard to patients’ well-being and lives. Full article

A person spends about a third of their life sleeping, and high sleep quality is very important for health. Environmental factors are one of the most important factors affecting sleep quality, and indoor carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration while sleeping has a significant effect on sleep quality. In an indoor bedroom with no open windows and no fresh air system, different numbers of people sleeping will lead to changes in indoor CO₂ concentration. In order to study the changes in sleep quality caused by differences in CO₂ concentration, experimental research was performed. Objective sleep quality data are collected with polysomnography (PSG) and a subjective questionnaire. The sleep quality of the subjects is tested under three different CO₂ concentration levels; the average carbon dioxide concentration of three conditions is 680, 920, and 1350 ppm, which simulate a room with 1, 2, and 3 people sleeping, respectively. Other environment parameters are controlled as follows: test environment temperature is 26 ± 0.5 °C, relative humidity is 50 ± 5%, there is no obvious heat source in the test room, and the radiation temperature and air temperature difference is less than 1 °C. A total of 30 subjective tests were carried out with 10 subjects; the test lasted more than one month. The data subsequently underwent statistical analysis to determine the influence of CO₂ concentration on sleep quality. The results show that as the CO₂ concentration level increased, the sleep quietness and satisfaction of the subjects gradually decreased, the sleep duration gradually decreased, and symptoms such as throat discomfort, dyspnea, dry and itchy skin, difficulty falling asleep, difficulty waking up, congested nose and bad air smell become more obvious. The PSG test results showed that CO₂ concentration has a significant impact on the proportion of the N3 period. According to the group of CO₂ concentration conditions, the mean of the N3 period proportion under the conditions of one person, two persons, and three persons is 20.4%, 17.3%, and 14.4%, respectively. Finally, there was also an increase in turning over or awakening during sleep, indicating that sleep quality was reduced under higher CO₂ concentrations. Full article

Background: After a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, smell disorders frequently occur, significantly affecting patients’ quality of life (QoL). Methods: 110 patients with persistent olfactory disorder after coronavirus infection were enrolled. These patients underwent chemosensory testing using the Sniffin’ Sticks test, and completed the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders (QOD). Results: 30% of the patients reported anosmia, and 70% reported hyposmia. Upon comparing subjective and chemosensory testing categories, good category matching was observed in 75.3% (i.e., anosmia based on both methods in 10 and hyposmia in 48 cases). Statistical analysis using the Chi-square test revealed a significant result (p = 0.001 *). Between the TDI (i.e., Threshold, Discrimination, Identification) results of the three subjective report groups (i.e., hyposmia, anosmia, and parosmia), no significant differences were observed. When the TDI and QOD results were compared, no consistent significant correlations were found in most TDI and QOD outcomes. Between the TDI and Scale 2 results, a significant, although slight correlation was observed by the Spearman’s (rho = 0.213, p = 0.027 *) and Pearson’s (rho = 0.201, p = 0.037 *) tests. Conclusions: The nonsignificant correlation between objective and subjective methods suggests that these results should be interpreted independently. Moreover, adequate management is essential even in mild cases. Full article

The subjective and demanding nature of olfactory testing means that it is often neglected in clinic despite loss of smell leading to significant limitations in everyday life. The list of diseases associated with loss of olfaction far exceeds the field of otorhinolaryngology and can also be seen in neurodegenerative disorders. Knowledge of possible clinical testing is essential to determine a proper differential diagnosis for the loss of olfactory sense. Causes of olfactory impairment can be divided into either failure in transferring odour to the organ of perception or damage to the olfactory pathway structure itself. Examination should therefore include methods evaluating cross-sectional area and patency of the nasal cavity as well as subjective or objective assessment of olfactory function. In this report we summarize several articles, studies, and our own experiences to provide a comprehensive review of their current clinical usage including their benefits, limitations, and possible outcomes. We also discuss the mechanism of olfaction step by step to provide a full understanding of the possible errors depending on the localization in the pathway and the methods designed for their detection. We discuss the correlation of the microbiome in nasal polyposis and chronic rhinitis with olfactory impairment using objective olfactometry. The topic of objective olfactometry and the examination of olfactory event-related potentials (OERP) is commented upon in detail. Full article

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) represents 25–30% of all CRS cases, and in the most severe forms it is associated with a poor quality of life and a high rate of nasal polyps’ recurrence after surgery. Dupilumab has been suggested as a treatment option for severe CRSwNP. Methods: Patients with severe CRSwNP receiving dupilumab from January 2021 were followed up at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months from the first administration and were considered for this study. At baseline and at each follow-up, patients underwent nasal endoscopy and completed the Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT)-22, a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for smell/nasal obstruction, the Nasal Congestion Score and the Asthma Control Test. Peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF), a smell test, nasal cytology and blood eosinophilia were also evaluated. Results: Forty-seven patients were included in the study. Of these, 33 patients had a history of previous surgery (ESS) and had recurrent nasal polyps, while 14 patients were naïve to nasal surgery. Both subjective and objective parameters improved after biological treatment and were correlated with each other (p < 0.05), except for the SNOT-22 and the nasal polyp’s score. No correlations were found between nasal and blood eosinophilia. No differences were observed when comparing the post-surgical and the naïve groups. Conclusions: Dupilumab improves nasal obstruction and the sense of smell and reduces the level of local inflammation in severe CRSwNP patients in a similar way in both naïve and post-surgical patients. Full article

Background and Objectives: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new disease entity caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The main symptoms of infection at the onset of the pandemic include dyspnea, cough and high fever. Ear–nose–throat (ENT) symptoms are among the ones presented by patients in the course of infection. The aim of the study was to analyze the frequency of ENT symptoms and to assess their severity and duration in COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: The study included 337 patients who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2, as confirmed by a PCR test. The study participants were >18 years old; the mean age was 43.98 years ± 13.47 SD. The convalescents completed a questionnaire that contained 26 questions, including 9 detailed questions related to ENT symptoms, such as sore throat, vertigo, dizziness, hearing disorders, olfactory disorders, taste disturbance, headache, cough and dyspnea. The severity of symptoms was assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Results: The most reported ENT symptoms were olfactory disorders, which occurred in 72% of patients. The second most frequent symptom was taste disturbance (68%), VAS = 6.79 ± 3.01. Vertigo and dizziness were reported by 34% of respondents (VAS = 4.01 ± 2.01). Tinnitus was observed in 15% of patients, VAS = 3.87 ± 1.98; 14% of the subjects reported hearing impairment (VAS = 3.81 ± 2.37). Conclusions: Symptoms related to the sense of smell, taste and hearing are some of the most common symptoms in the course of COVID-19, which is important in the therapeutic and epidemiological management of patients. Delayed diagnosis and treatment of symptoms, especially those related to the hearing organ, may result in greater permanent damage. Full article

Background: Smell and taste dysfunction are frequently reported by SARS-CoV-2 positive patients. The degree of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction varies from a very mild reduction to their complete loss. Several studies have been performed to determine their prevalence in COVID-19 patients, mostly using subjective measurement methods. The literature lacks long-term studies regarding duration and recovery. Methods: We assessed olfactory performance, using the Sniffin’ Sticks olfactory test, in a group of patients who had not reported olfactory dysfunction, around 131 days after their COVID-19 diagnosis. Results: 11 out of 20 subjects showed no olfactory reduction (65%), while 9 subjects showed reduced TDI score (45%). A total of 13 subjects (65%) scored above the cutoff point for Threshold, 16 subjects (80%) scored above the cutoff point for discrimination and 13 subjects (65%) scored above the cutoff point for identification. Conclusion: Objective measurement methods of olfactory performance show a higher prevalence of olfactory reduction compared to patients’ self-reported questionnaires. Olfactory dysfunction can last even months after its onset and because of its high prevalence, it could be a screening symptom for suspect COVID-19 cases. Full article

Early in the pandemic, in the North American epicenter, we investigated associations between sociodemographic factors and rates of pediatric COVID-19 diagnoses in a non-clinical setting and whether symptoms varied by child age. From 20 April–31 August 2020, COVID-19-related data were collected on 2694 children aged ≤ 18 years living in households participating in the New York University Children’s Health and Environment Study. We examined differences in rates of subjective and objective diagnoses according to sociodemographic characteristics and differences in reported symptoms by child age. Children of women who were non-Hispanic White, had private health insurance, higher income, or more education were more likely to be diagnosed via WHO criteria or healthcare provider. Children of women who were Hispanic or Asian, reported low income, had less education, or were/lived with an essential worker were more likely to test positive. Older children were less likely to experience cough or runny nose and more likely to experience muscle/body aches, sore throat, headache, and loss of smell or taste than younger children. In conclusion, relying on subjective disease ascertainment methods, especially in the early stage of an outbreak when testing is not universally available, may misrepresent the true prevalence of disease among sociodemographic subgroups. Variations in symptoms by child age should be considered when determining diagnostic criteria. Full article

Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is a common manifestation of COVID-19 and may be useful for screening. Survey-based olfactory evaluation tends to underestimate the prevalence of OD, while psychophysical olfactory testing during a pandemic has the disadvantage of being time consuming, expensive, and requiring standardized laboratory settings. We aimed to develop a quick, simple, affordable, and reliable test to objectively assess the prevalence and diagnostic accuracy of OD in COVID-19. The olfactory function of 64 COVID-19 inpatients and 34 controls was evaluated using a questionnaire and a simple disposable odor identification test (SDOIT) developed for this study. Four SDOIT models were assessed: 10-SDOIT, 9-SDOIT, 8-SDOIT, and 4-SDOIT, with 10, 9, 8 and 4 samples, respectively. We found a high frequency of self-reported OD in COVID-19 patients, with 32.8% and 42.2% reporting current and recent OD, respectively. Different SDOIT models revealed smell impairment in 54.7–64.1% of COVID-19 patients. The combination of either 10-SDOIT results and self-reported OD, or 8-SDOIT results and self-reported OD, were the best predictors of COVID-19, both with an AUC value of 0.87 (0.85 and 0.86 for the age-matched subjects). OD is a common symptom of COVID-19. A combination of self-reported smell deterioration and OD psychophysically evaluated using SDOIT appears to be a good predictor of COVID-19. Full article

Background and Objectives: Bariatric surgery is the gold standard for the treatment of morbid obesity, and current evidence suggests that patients undergoing surgery can show changes in their sense of taste and smell. However, no definitive conclusions can be drawn given the heterogeneity of the studies and the contrasting results reported in the literature. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 18 obese patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and 15 obese controls. At baseline (T0) and 6 months after enrollment/surgery (T1), both groups underwent Sniffin’ Sticks and whole mouth test. Post-operative qualitative taste variations were also analyzed and SNOT-22, VAS for taste and smell, and MMSE were administered. Results: An improvement in the olfactory threshold was observed in the treatment group (p = 0.03) at 6 months. At multivariate analysis, the olfactory threshold differences observed correlated with MMSE (p = 0.03) and T0 gustatory identification (p = 0.01). No changes in sense of taste were observed between the two groups at 6 months, even though nine subjects in the treatment group reported a worsening of taste. This negatively correlated with age (p < 0.001), but a positive marginal correlation was observed with the olfactory threshold difference between T0 and T1 (p = 0.06). Conclusions: Olfaction can improve after LSG, and this seems to be the consequence of an improved olfactory threshold. Although we did not observe any change in gustatory identification, food’s pleasantness worsened after bariatric surgery. Full article

Lack of knowledge around seroprevalence levels of COVID-19 in Poland was the reason for the implementation of a seroepidemiological study in the Katowice Region (2,100,000 inhabitants). In October–November 2020, a questionnaire examination and measurement of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies were performed in a random sample of the general population (n = 1167). The objectives of the study were to estimate the prevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies and to assess their host-related correlates. The prevalence of IgG seropositivity was 11.4% (95% CI: 9.5–13.2%) and IgM seropositivity was 4.6% (95% CI: 3.5–5.8%). Diagnosis of COVID-19 was found in 4.8% of subjects. A positive IgG test was statistically significantly associated with age (inverse relationship), a person’s contact with a COVID-19 patient, quarantine, and two symptoms in the past: fever and loss of smell/taste. Positive IgG tests were less prevalent in subjects who had diagnoses of arterial hypertension, diabetes, or rheumatologic disorders. IgM test positivity was associated with quarantine and loss of smell/taste only with no effect of chronic diseases found. In Poland, in the period October–November 2020, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was larger than earlier estimates obtained in other European countries, probably reflecting the measurements obtained during the “second wave” of the epidemic. Full article

Objective: We investigate the prevalence of the self-reported and objective sudden loss of smell (SLS) in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: Severe COVID-19 patients with self-reported SLS were recruited at hospitalization discharge. Epidemiological and clinical data were collected. The Sino-nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) was used to evaluate rhinological complaints. Subjective olfactory and gustatory functions were assessed with the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHNES). Objective SLS was evaluated using psychophysical tests. Potential associations between olfactory evaluation and the clinical outcomes (duration of hospitalization; admission biology; one month serology (IgG), and chest computed tomography findings) were studied. Results: Forty-seven patients completed the study (25 females). Subjectively, eighteen (38.3%) individuals self-reported subjective partial or total SLS. Among them, only three and four were anosmic and hyposmic, respectively (38.9%). Considering the objective evaluation in the entire cohort, the prevalence of SLS was 21.3%. Elderly patients and those with diabetes had lower objective olfactory evaluation results than young and non-diabetic individuals. Conclusions: The prevalence of SLS in severe COVID-19 patients appears to be lower than previously estimated in mild-to-moderate COVID-19 forms. Future comparative studies are needed to explore the predictive value of SLS for COVID-19 severity. Full article