Objectives: The present study aims to assess whether or not there is a correlation between the degree of olfactory dysfunction and the affected individual's perception of the impacts of such a deficit.
Methods: This research was approved by the Research Ethics Committee under number 47193821.5.0000.5529. The study is based on the evaluation of patients aged 18–65 years, with a history of Covid-19 infection associated with a complaint of altered smell that started during the acute phase of the disease and continued 1 month after the onset of symptoms. The inclusion criterion was the existence of proof of infection by Covid-19 through previous RT-PCR, performed during the acute phase of symptoms. Patients with a history of pre-existing hyposmia to Covid-19 infection, as well as individuals with chronic rhinosinusitis, a history of traumatic brain injury, skull base surgery or neurodegenerative diseases were excluded.
Results: The study included 20 patients with complaints of persistent smell alteration, with a minimum time of 1 month after the acute infection by Covid-19. The age group of the participating individuals ranged from 18 to 58 years, with a mean of 40.1 (±11.6) years. It is observed that, during the interview, half of the patients (50%) reported no perception of progressive improvement since the acute condition, and an equal number of patients (50%) had already started some treatment for the olfactory deficit under medical supervision. or not, the treatments being reported: olfactory training with homemade substances (15%), olfactory training with 4 pre-defined odors (25%) and medications (35%). Among those who reported the use of medication, the use of topical nasal corticosteroids alone (28.6%), alpha lipoic acid alone (28.6%) and the association of topical nasal corticosteroids and alpha lipoic acid (42.9%) stand out. It is shown that 45% of the participants reported a previous situation of exposure to danger due to the olfactory deficit, namely, the consumption of inappropriate food (44.4%), the non-perception of exposure to the flammable substance (22.2%) and non-perception of a nearby burning object (11.1%), in addition to the consumption of inappropriate food and non- perception of exposure to exposure to a flammable substance when reported by the same individual (22.2%). There was a report of hyposmia in all participating patients, considering that this complaint represented an inclusion criterion for the present study, although there was an association with parosmia (30%), phantosmia (50%) and taste alteration (75%). When asked to give a score on a one-dimensional scale of 0-10 for their olfactory function, participants reported scores that ranged from 1 to 7, with a mean of 3.7. The grades given for the degree of overall perceived impact ranged from 2 to 10, with an average of 6.0. Statistical analysis with estimation of Spearman's correlation coefficient showed a direct correlation between the low scores given for smell in the patient's perception and lower values in the total score of the olfactory test (p<0.003; r 0.63).
Discussion: Smell is a very important sense in the individual's interaction with the environment that surrounds him. This sense allows the identification of dangerous situations, awakens memories, helps the perception of flavors and plays an important role in interpersonal interactions. Thus, losses in this function have a great potential to impact the quality of life of the affected person, and may, for example, change diet habits, increase exposure to risk situations and generate emotional suffering.
Conclusion: The year 2021 was marked not only by the emergence of new cases of infection by Covid-19, but also by the recognition of sequelae left by the disease and the rehabilitation of patients affected by them. In this context, olfactory dysfunction stands out, which despite being short-lived in most cases, can be long- lasting and generate great compromise in the quality of life and safety of the individual.
Keywords: Olfactory impairment; Hyposmia; Covid-19.
