CORRELATION OF OLFACTORY DYSFUNCTION WITH ALLERGIC RHINITIS- A HOSPITAL BASED OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: Hyposmia is a fairly common complaint in patients with long?continuing allergic rhinitis. A degree of smell disturbance has been found in seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis, but alterations in olfaction in patients with persistent allergic rhinitis (PER) have not yet been evaluated.

Objective: To measure the prevalence of and identify the clinical characteristics associated with olfactory dysfunction in patients with allergic rhinitis.

Methods: This study conducted on 256 routine OPD patients age range between 18-60 years. It was an analytical and observational study in adult patients with a diagnosis of olfactory dysfunction with allergic rhinitis. The olfactory test used was undergone with the “Sniffin’ Sticks” test.

Results: this study was conducted on 256 patients who were previously diagnosed for  allergic rhhinitis in Jammu city. Within the group of patients aged 20 to more than 51 year age range. 135 male and 121 female patient observed. The results  were counted in the  form of Threshold, Discrimination, Identification and TDI score. In males, 22.22% had normosmia, 44.44% had hyposmia, and 33.33% anosmia (P<0.001). In female patient, with 23.96% had normosmia, 46.28% had hyposmia, and 29.75% were having anosmia (P<0.001).

Conclusion: This study confirms the validity and reliability of The “Sniffin’ Sticks” test which is a tool suited for the routine clinical checkup of patients and for a range of additional uses in healthcare and in industry. This concludes the correlation of allergic rhinitis with olfatory dysfunction as sneezing can cause obstruction in conductive transmission of an odorant stimulus to the olfactory neuroepithelium.

Keywords: Allergic Rhinitis, Asthma, Hyposmia, Nasalpolyposis, Olfactory Dysfunction,