{"id":173,"date":"2020-05-29T10:20:44","date_gmt":"2020-05-29T10:20:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barnaclinic.com\/blog\/orl\/en\/?p=173"},"modified":"2020-05-29T10:20:44","modified_gmt":"2020-05-29T10:20:44","slug":"loss-of-smell-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.barnaclinic.com\/blog\/orl\/en\/loss-of-smell-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Loss of smell and COVID-19: What we know, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"

As most people know by now, SARS-CoV-2 <\/strong>is a type of coronavirus <\/strong>that affects people and that is responsible for COVID-19<\/strong>. This disease is characterized by a series of breathing problems<\/strong>, mostly with mild symptoms (80% of cases). Sometimes these respiratory disease symptoms <\/strong>are accompanied by other conditions. Specifically, recent studies suggest that<\/a> up to 88% of patients with COVID-19 present a loss of smell and taste<\/strong>. Most of these patients (80%) will regain their senses of smell and taste on teir own, over time. For those who do not regain their sense of smell either partially or at all, there is only one option available right now: olfactory training<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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UPDATED INFORMATION – Current situation and advice to face the COVID-19 pandemic<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n

RESPIRATORY DISEASE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 AND LOSS OF SMELL<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Several COVID-19 symptoms <\/strong>are widely known already: fever, cough, pneumonia, respiratory distress, runny nose, nasal obstruction, breathing issues… Patients who show lung deterioration may even require admission to the ICU. But there is another symptom that has a significant impact on the patients’ quality of life, and that occurs in a large number of cases: the loss of their senses of smell and taste<\/strong>. They can occur independently or both at the same time, though the most severe is anosmia, the total loss of the sense of smell<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

INCIDENCE OF smell loss IN PATIENTS WITH COVID-19<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In our experience, we can state that the majority of COVID-19 patients lose both their smell and taste<\/strong>. 10% of the cases present hyposmia, the partial loss of smell<\/strong>, even before other general symptoms appear.<\/p>\n

According to studies carried out in China, between 5 and 7% of COVID-19 patients presented a smell loss<\/strong>. However, the latest European multicentric studies show that the percentage of COVID-19 patients who have lost their senses of smell and \/ or taste – to a greater or lesser degree – is around 88%<\/strong><\/a>1<\/sup><\/p>\n

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\"Isam<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

“The latest European multicentric studies show that around 88% of patients with COVID-19 have experienced a loss of their sense of smell”<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Dr.\u00a0Isam Alobid<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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1\u00a0<\/sup>J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol.\u00a02020 May 14:0. doi: 10.18176\/jiaci.0567. [Epub ahead of print]<\/small><\/p>\n

Olfactory dysfunction in the COVID-19 outbreak.<\/a><\/h4>\n

Izquierdo-Dominguez A<\/a>,\u00a0Rojas-Lechuga MJ<\/a>,\u00a0Mullol J<\/a>,\u00a0Alobid I<\/a>.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

CAUSES OF LOSS OF THE SENSE OF SMELL, OR ANOSMIA<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The loss of smell, or anosmia<\/strong>, is not solely caused by COVID-19<\/strong> but may have different origins. The most frequent causes of the smell loss<\/strong> are viral infections of the upper respiratory system: common cold, sinusitis, bronchitis, etc. Another common cause of anosmia <\/strong>is the chronic inflammation of the nose and paranasal sinuses: allergic rhinitis, chronic rhino-sinusitis,… Finally, the last cause of smell loss <\/strong>is traumatic brain injury, which causes significant damage to the neuroepithelium and to the olfactory bulb.<\/p>\n

DEGREES OF LOSS OF THE SENSE OF SMELL<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Smell loss<\/strong> can be graded depending on its severity. The scale to measure it goes from 0 to 10. From 0 to 3 it is considered a slight loss of smell; from 3 to 7, moderate; and from 7 to 10, it is a severe loss of the sense of smell<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The mild or moderate alterations of the sense of smell <\/strong>(from 0 to 7) are known as hyposmia<\/strong>. A severe or total loss of the sense of smell <\/strong>(from 7 to 10) is known as anosmia<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\"Isam<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

“COVID-19 patients present a severe loss of the sense of smell, or anosmia”<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Dr.\u00a0Isam Alobid<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

RECOVERY FROM A COVID-19 SMELL LOSS<\/strong><\/h2>\n

1 in 5 COVID-19 patients regained their sense of smell within a week after the appearance of the symptoms of the disease<\/strong>. A third group regained it in one to two weeks<\/strong>. Finally, 1 in 5 regained their sense of smell after two to four weeks after COVID-19<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The majority of patients (80%) who have lost their sense of smell due to COVID-19 <\/strong>regained it within a maximum of one month. However, they still present a slight reduction of their sense of<\/strong> smell, or hyposmia<\/strong>. This type of smell loss <\/strong>is called “long-term.” At the moment, we have no information on the evolution of long-term smell loss further down the line. These patients need to be followed up to check their evolution of smell loss<\/strong>, and to know if the designated treatments are being effective.<\/p>\n

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\"Isam<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

“The majority of patients (80%) who have <\/strong>lost their sense of smell due to COVID-19 regained it within a maximum of one month. However, they still present a slight hyposmia”<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Dr.\u00a0Isam Alobid<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

IS THERE A TREATMENT FOR COVID-19 RELATED SMELL LOSS?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As of now, we do not have any medical treatment for COVID-19 related smell loss<\/strong>. We are only dealing with its natural healing process over time. That said, our experience with post-viral anosmia gives us tools that can help these patients regain their olfactory capacity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Literature is widely heterogeneous regarding loss of smell; we advise home isolation measures and\/or social distancing, and to carry out diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 when possible in patients with sudden\/severe loss of smell who cannot be promptly evaluated #anosmia<\/a> #COVID19<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/U7JvuxWst2<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Isam Alobid (@IsamAlobid) May 15, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n