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17-10-2022, 08:20 AM
Potential treatments
The guidelines recommend various treatments, depending on the cause of the smell loss.
Underlying disorder: If the loss of smell is due to an underlying disease, such as chronic sinusitis or neurological condition, the guidelines suggest physicians refer the patient to a specialist and provide treatment options.
Jack Ford, 9, got sick with Covid in November and has had symptoms ever since
Children get long Covid, too, and it can show up in unexpected ways
Surgery and trauma: If the loss is due to skull surgery, treatment with omega-3 fatty acids is recommended. If trauma such as a car accident is the cause, oral zinc and topical vitamin A are options.
“Using the term ‘options’ means that either there is very low level data that it may help,” Patel said, “or there are conflicting studies where some show it helps and some do not, but there is no data to suggest harm.”
Viral infections: If the smell loss is a result of a viral infection such as Covid-19 or the flu, a recommended treatment is smell training, a process in which patients practice smelling scents twice each day for at least six months.
“We start with four odors that are in different categories of smell so that they will stimulate different types of olfactory receptor neurons in your nose: lemon, rose, eucalyptus and clove,” Patel said.
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Another recommendation is the use of steroids via a squeeze bottle nasal irrigation device similar to a neti pot, Patel said. Steroid nasal sprays don’t reach far enough up into the nose to reach the olfactory nerves.
“We add a topical steroid to the saltwater rinse and that allows you to bathe the neurons in the nose with a potent anti-inflammatory medication,” she said.
Safety studies on the use of steroids for chronic sinusitis patients have shown the body absorbs few steroids this way, she added: “So you don’t run into all those side effects that people get when they take steroids systemically by mouth or by injection.”
Other treatment options (not fully supported by research) for viral-induced smell loss may include topical vitamin A and omega-3 fatty oil supplements, the guidelines note.
The consensus also specifies which medications and treatments have little to no science supporting their use, such as systemic vitamin A, oral or nasal zinc, oral steroids or steroid nasal sprays, and platelet-rich plasma nasal injections.
https://us.cnn.com/2022/10/15/health/lon...index.html
The guidelines recommend various treatments, depending on the cause of the smell loss.
Underlying disorder: If the loss of smell is due to an underlying disease, such as chronic sinusitis or neurological condition, the guidelines suggest physicians refer the patient to a specialist and provide treatment options.
Jack Ford, 9, got sick with Covid in November and has had symptoms ever since
Children get long Covid, too, and it can show up in unexpected ways
Surgery and trauma: If the loss is due to skull surgery, treatment with omega-3 fatty acids is recommended. If trauma such as a car accident is the cause, oral zinc and topical vitamin A are options.
“Using the term ‘options’ means that either there is very low level data that it may help,” Patel said, “or there are conflicting studies where some show it helps and some do not, but there is no data to suggest harm.”
Viral infections: If the smell loss is a result of a viral infection such as Covid-19 or the flu, a recommended treatment is smell training, a process in which patients practice smelling scents twice each day for at least six months.
“We start with four odors that are in different categories of smell so that they will stimulate different types of olfactory receptor neurons in your nose: lemon, rose, eucalyptus and clove,” Patel said.
nose smell STOCK
Loss of smell from coronavirus: How to test your sense
Another recommendation is the use of steroids via a squeeze bottle nasal irrigation device similar to a neti pot, Patel said. Steroid nasal sprays don’t reach far enough up into the nose to reach the olfactory nerves.
“We add a topical steroid to the saltwater rinse and that allows you to bathe the neurons in the nose with a potent anti-inflammatory medication,” she said.
Safety studies on the use of steroids for chronic sinusitis patients have shown the body absorbs few steroids this way, she added: “So you don’t run into all those side effects that people get when they take steroids systemically by mouth or by injection.”
Other treatment options (not fully supported by research) for viral-induced smell loss may include topical vitamin A and omega-3 fatty oil supplements, the guidelines note.
The consensus also specifies which medications and treatments have little to no science supporting their use, such as systemic vitamin A, oral or nasal zinc, oral steroids or steroid nasal sprays, and platelet-rich plasma nasal injections.
https://us.cnn.com/2022/10/15/health/lon...index.html
