Fluctuating Olfactory Sensitivity and Distorted Odor Perception in Allergic Rhinitis

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Abstract
A RECENT study of topical corticosteroid nasal spray treatment of anosmia in patients with severe nasal-sinus disease suggests that nasal airway obstruction is not the only cause of olfactory loss in these patients.1 Following treatment, signs of disease (mucosal thickening, polypoid changes, and polyps) decreased significantly for all patients in the study. While olfactory function likewise improved significantly for 59% of the patients, the sense of smell in the remaining 41% did not change at all.1 Interestingly, one indicator of the successful olfactory response to treatment was a self-reported history of fluctuations in olfactory sensitivity, which could be interpreted as an indication of a functioning olfactory epithelium in an otherwise anosmic patient.1