2023 Volume 62 Issue 2 Pages 300-309
Upper respiratory tract infections, sinonasal disease, trauma, inhalation of drugs, and degenerative diseases are among the frequent causes of olfactory dysfunction. Recently, there have also been cases of olfactory dysfunction caused by COVID-19 infection. Patients with olfactory dysfunction often receive checkups with a T&T olfactometer or an Alinamin test. Olfactory training, in which patients actively sniff odors, has been introduced as a new treatment method for olfactory dysfunction. In our hospital, clinical laboratory technicians perform T&T olfactometry, while speech therapists perform olfactory training under a rehabilitation doctor. In this study, patients diagnosed with olfactory dysfunction underwent olfactory training for more than 3 months. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the International University of Health and Welfare. Olfactory training included exposure to odorants (rose, lemon, eucalyptus, and cinnamon) for 10 seconds each, twice per day (morning and evening). After 3 months, the 4 odorants were changed to lavender, orange, cypress, and vanilla. The results in olfactometry before and after olfactory training were compared retrospectively. No significant improvement was seen in T&T olfactometry, but a significant improvement was found in a self-administered Olfactory QOL questionnaire and visual analogue scale (VAS). Here, we introduce this approach for cases of olfactory dysfunction, with the goal of establishing a more effective and uniform protocol for Japanese patients.
