Loss of smell in patients with aspirin‐exacerbated respiratory disease impacts mental health and quality of life
03 medical and health sciences
Mental Health
0302 clinical medicine
Aspirin
Anosmia
Quality of Life
Humans
Female
Asthma, Aspirin-Induced
Sinusitis
3. Good health
DOI:
10.1111/cea.14157
Publication Date:
2022-05-04T06:44:59Z
AUTHORS (8)
ABSTRACT
AbstractBackgroundThe impact of anosmia on quality‐of‐life (QoL) for patients with aspirin‐exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is poorly understood. We aimed to investigate how the severity of smell loss and olfactory dysfunction (OD) in patients with AERD affects their QoL, mental health and physical well‐being.MethodsFive validated QoL questionnaires (Sinonasal Outcome Test‐22, Asthma Control Test, Healthy Days Core Module‐4, Short Form‐36 and Patient Health Questionnaire‐4) and two newly developed questionnaires assessing severity and consequences of OD were electronically sent to all 2913 patients in the Brigham and Women's Hospital AERD registry. Responses were received from 853 participants for analysis.ResultsOverall, 85% of participants reported a present diminished sense of smell and/or taste, and 30% categorized their OD severity was, “as bad as it can be.” There were significant relationships between the severity of self‐reported OD and both psychological distress and general health scores, even after adjusting for asthma control. Additionally, incidence rates for physically and mentally unhealthy days in the prior month were higher for patients with moderate or severe OD than for normosmic patients. Patients with diminished smell responded that they could not identify spoiled food (86%), did not enjoy food (71%), felt unsafe (63%) and had encountered dangerous situations (51%) as consequences of their OD.ConclusionsAnosmia and hyposmia severely impact the physical, emotional and mental health of AERD patients, and lead to safety concerns in their daily lives. The importance of olfaction and the relevance of OD to patients’ QoL should be acknowledged and evaluated by clinicians caring for these patients.
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