Olfaction in patients with allergic rhinitis

Abstract EN

Sixty patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis whose ages ranged from 26-58 years and composed of 30 males (mean age 38 ± 8.8 years) and 30 females (mean age 37.5 ± 7.2 years) were tested for their olfaction acuity using the University-of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test.

It was shown that there was a significant loss of smell in both genders, being more in females, that is getting worse with aging and longer duration of allergic rhinitis symptoms.

There was a significant difference between male and female scores with the females being moderately hyposmic (meah UPSIT score 33 ± 4.1), while the males were mildly hyposmic (mean UPSIT score 29.7 ± 6.4).

No significant difference between either the ages or the allergy duration of both genders was found.

Smell loss in patients with allergic rhinitis per se could be attributed to the inflammatory mediators and neurotoxins, released during the allergy process, damaging the neuroepithelium that is covered by abnormal quantity and quality of mucus and aggravated by the recurrent attacks of upper respiratory tract infections to which the patients are more susceptibla.