PRP Anosmia Treatment

Providers

Roy S. Lewis, MD

Many patients are reporting a loss of their sense of smell at an increasing rate, primarily due to COVID-19. If previous methods of restoring your smell have been ineffective, CEENTA otolaryngologist Roy Lewis, MD, has a treatment method available at our Mooresville location that is fast, outpatient, and involves only a small injection.

Call 704-658-0595 to Schedule a PRP Anosmia Treatment Consultation

How prevalent is smell loss?

Smell loss, also known as anosmia, can be due to multiple conditions affecting the nasal cavities. These can include:

Allergies
Sinus infections
Cold or flu
Bacterial and viral infections

The emergence of COVID-19 in 2019 has led to an increase in anosmia in patients, particularly those who were symptomatic and continued to have side effects (also known as Long COVID). According to Yale Medicine, 60% of those who were infected with COVID in 2021 experienced varying degrees of smell loss, with 25% of those patients unable to recover this sense.

How is COVID-related anosmia determined?

Beyond looking at your medical history and previous infections of COVID-19, your physician may perform a nasal exam to see if your sense of smell is diminished due to other underlying issues. This may also involve a seasonal allergy test, a CT or MRI scan, and olfactory testing.

To initially treat your sense of smell, your physician may recommend nasal saline and steroid sprays to see if your condition is due to inflammation rather than nerve disorders brought on by COVID. If after this regimen you are still determined to have prolonged smell loss, your physician may recommend you for PRP anosmia treatment.

What is the PRP anosmia treatment?

In an effort to combat COVID-related smell loss, researchers have been examining how the olfactory neurons in the nose are damaged as a result of the virus. Their findings suggest that this critical component in the sense of smell can be restored through a therapeutic method involving platelet-rich plasma (PRP) found in blood, which has been studied for its healing properties in conditions like arthritis.

How is PRP anosmia treatment performed?

This method of smell loss restoration is conducted in the following steps:

Your physician will draw a small sample of blood from you, which is then ran through a centrifuge to separate out the platelet-rich plasma.
Next, your nasal cavity is numbed with a topical local anesthetic gel such as lidocaine.
Once your nasal cavity is numbed, your physician will inject the plasma into your bilateral cavities.

Who are good candidates for PRP anosmia treatment?

Proper candidates are those in good health who do not have underlying bleeding disorders like hemophilia who may react to the initial blood draw. The ideal candidate has also been at least one month out from their last COVID infection and have been without a sense of smell for at least six months.

How do I schedule an appointment for PRP anosmia treatment?

To schedule your consultation for the PRP anosmia treatment with Dr. Roy Lewis at our Mooresville office, call 704-658-0595.