Patient Day on the topic of olfaction and taste disorders

    

    

Doctors newspaper online, 17.09.2019

    

        
        
        

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At the University of Dresden

BERLIN / BONN. The Olfactory and Gustology Working Group of the German Society for Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (DGHNO-KHC) is organizing a patient day on September 29 in Dresden on the topic of olfactory and taste disorders. Among other things, it is about causes of such disorders and treatment options.

According to the DGHNO-KHC, about 50,000 people are affected by olfactory or taste disorders in Germany every year.

Almost everyone knows about harmless colds: The nose is blocked, you do not smell anything anymore, the food tastes bland. However, such an olfactory loss (anosmia) is clinically relevant only if it persists even after the infection subsides. "This can happen, for example, after a true virus flu, if the viruses have damaged the olfactory mucosa," says Professor Thomas Hummel, head of the olfactory and taste center at the ENT clinic of the Dresden University Hospital, quoted in the message of the professional society.

In these cases, the sense of smell often returns completely, even if it may take months or years. Even with a loss of smell, which goes back to a chronic sinus inflammation, the sensory function often recovers when the inflammation is suppressed by medication or the mechanical blockade is eliminated by a polyp operation.

However, olfactory disturbances can also be a symptom of more profound damage – for example after traumatic brain injury or in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease. Complete recovery of the olfactory function is then very rare.

"Chemical sensory impressions are highly subjective," recalls Hummel in the DGHNO-KHC communication. How strong an odor loss is is therefore not easy to measure. An objective measure offers the EEG.

For some years now, therapy has been attempting to take advantage of the plasticity of the chemical senses; Here, some patients seem to benefit from a regular morning and evening olfactory training, reports the professional society in its communication.

In a patient brochure, the AG olfactology and gustology of the DGHNO-KHC also explains the function of the chemical senses and their disorders. There are also tips on how sufferers can compensate for everyday impairments and what precautions they should take.

Those affected should install smoke detectors and possibly gas detectors, note the purchase or opening date of food and dispose of questionable food in case of doubt. Also with the hygiene missing patients with olfaction loss, an important feedback. Here, Hummel recommends adhering to fixed schedules for personal hygiene, changing clothes and, for example, cleaning the toilet. "Even such seemingly trivial things contribute significantly to maintaining the safety in social interaction and thus the quality of life," said Hummel in the message. (eb)

Patient Day: 29.09.2019; 9: 00-16: 00; University Hospital, lecture hall in the house No. 19; Deadline: 25th September 2019; Contact: thummel@mail.zih.tu-dresden.de

Retrieve Patient Brochure about: https://olfaktologie.hno.org/patienten.html

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