Современные направления коррекции обонятельных нарушений в клинической практике

Abstract

Introduction. According to statistics, about 20% of the population have olfactory disorders of various etiologies. Among the older age group, the prevalence of the symptom is significantly higher and ranges from 40% to 65%. Olfactory disorders are most often found in diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses of viral and infectious genesis and traumatic brain injury. There are currently no approved schemes for the correction of olfactory disorders. However, in chronic rhinosinusitis, the role of endonasal surgical interventions, systemic and topical glucocorticoids, and biological targeted therapy has been substantiated. Olfactory training in patients with olfactory dysfunction of various etiologies may be a promising treatment method. Objective. To review olfactory training techniques in general clinical practice. Materials and methods. The search for publications in the PubMed and Web of Science databases for the period from 2009 to 2023 was carried out. Results. Olfactory training is an effective method of treating olfactory dysfunction of various etiologies. The proposed olfactory training schemes involve the use of various essential oils in a standard concentration, while the duration of training can vary from 3 to 8 months. The effect of training is characterized by improved indicators of discrimination and identification of odors. At the same time, the period of restoration of the sense of smell is determined both by the degree of severity of olfactory disorders and their duration and by the age of the patient. Shorter recovery periods of olfaction were observed in patients younger than 40 years, and longer periods, in patients older than 69 years. Discussion. The study of the prospects for the use of olfactory training in the correction of olfactory dysfunction involves the study of the role of polysensory stimulation in increasing their effectiveness. The most optimal is additional stimulation of the visual analyzer by immersing the patient in a virtual scenario.