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. 2013 Jul 23;13(1):8.
doi: 10.1186/1472-6815-13-8.

Hidden consequences of olfactory dysfunction: a patient report series

Andreas Keller  1 , Dolores Malaspina
Affiliations

Hidden consequences of olfactory dysfunction: a patient report series

Andreas Keller et al. BMC Ear Nose Throat Disord. .

Abstract

Background: The negative consequences of olfactory dysfunction for the quality of life are not widely appreciated and the condition is therefore often ignored or trivialized.

Methods: 1,000 patients with olfactory dysfunction participated in an online study by submitting accounts of their subjective experiences of how they have been affected by their condition. In addition, they were given the chance to answer 43 specific questions about the consequences of their olfactory dysfunction.

Results: Although there are less practical problems associated with impaired or distorted odor perception than with impairments in visual or auditory perception, many affected individuals report experiencing olfactory dysfunction as a debilitating condition. Smell loss-induced social isolation and smell loss-induced anhedonia can severely affect quality of life.

Conclusions: Olfactory dysfunction is a serious condition for those affected by it and it deserves more attention from doctors who treat affected patients as well as from scientist who research treatment options.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Causes of olfactory dysfunction. The relative prevalence of different causes of olfactory dysfunction as reported in seven studies [5,22,25-29] is shown. Median values are indicated by the open black bar. Sinonasal disease, upper respiratory infection, and head trauma are the three most frequent causes of olfactory dysfunction.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Study population. The subjects of this study are from 64 different countries with most from the USA, the UK, India, and Canada. (a) The gender (b), self-reported race (c), and age as well as age at onset of the olfactory dysfunction (d) of the subjects is shown. In (e) the responses to three of the questionnaire questions are shown.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Consequences of olfactory dysfunction. Food-related consequences (a), changes in social behaviors (b), and general consequences (c) of changes in the sense of smell are shown. The results are based on the 725 subjects that have completed the questionnaire.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Perceived quality of distorted smells. Of the 161 subjects that reported quality of distorted smells, the largest group experienced a burnt or smoky smell. The second largest group reported that they experience the distorted smells as smelling like solvent or fumes.
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