Your Solution for Loss of Smell

Over the years, much has been written about treating the loss of hearing or sight. But what happens when you lose your sense of smell?

Your sense of smell plays a vital role in connecting you to the world. It can enhance your experiences with pleasant aromas or alert you to danger through unpleasant odors. Losing this ability can significantly impact your daily life.

Fortunately, recent studies point to a promising solution that CEENTA is eager to implement.

What are common causes of loss of sense of smell?

One of the most infamous causes of loss of sense of smell (also known as anosmia) in the past five years is COVID-19. Beyond normal nasal inflammation that can occur due to a respiratory virus, coronavirus is unique in that it can affect the olfactory neurons in your nose and prevent proper signal relays from these nerves to your brain. While most instances of anosmia from COVID-19 are temporary, some patients have reported prolonged smelling loss.

Other causes of smelling loss beyond COVID may include:

• Allergies
• Nasal polyps
• Smoking
• Bacterial and viral infections
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)

How is loss of smell diagnosed?

The first step in treating your anosmia is to try to determine the root cause. An ENT physician can perform multiple tests including a nasal examination, a CT or MRI scan, and allergy tests.

There are multiple screening tools currently available and also being researched to help to better assess your sense of smell and the degree of deficit.

How is loss of smell treated?

Dr. Roy Lewis, a CEENTA otolaryngologist who practices out of our Mooresville office, explains how loss of smell can be treated at home. “The first step in treatment is to use topical nasal saline and topical nasal steroid sprays on a daily basis. This can take a month to see benefit.

In addition, Dr. Lewis recommends olfactory training. “This method has also been shown to provide benefit. Olfactory training is as easy as smelling a select group of smells on a daily basis. Patients are encouraged to do this for six months since there is a reasonable chance for spontaneous recovery during that time”.

How can nasal injections help with your loss of sense of smell?

Although these methods can be effective, sometimes it is not enough for some patients. As Dr. Lewis explains, “It was frustrating that we did not have an effective treatment option for the multitude of patients with a decreased sense of smell.”

An exciting new method of treatment for smell loss for COVID patients has been researched in recent years. Using platelet-rich plasma (or PRP), physicians are examining how to restore the sense of smell for patients affected by the pandemic.

This process involves drawing a small sample of blood from the patient and running it through a centrifuge to separate the blood components to obtain platelet-rich plasma. The nasal cavity is then numbed with a topical local anesthetic gel such as lidocaine. The platelet rich plasma is then injected into bilateral nasal cavities.

Platelet-rich plasma has been studied for its growth and regenerative qualities for other conditions such as arthritis and hair loss. The premise here is that this injection can provide restoration of smelling by treating the olfactory nerves that were damaged due to COVID. “When I further investigated the option of providing PRP for anosmia, I realized how simple, safe, and widely used this treatment is in the medical field.”

While the treatment is still being researched, it has yielded tremendous results based on studies from Stanford University and others.

“When I read the articles on PRP for anosmia, I was thrilled with their success,” Dr. Lewis said.

Does CEENTA offer a platelet-rich nasal injection for smell loss?

Dr. Lewis has been an advocate for treatment of anosmia due to COVID-19, and he is eager to share this treatment with patients at his Mooresville office. To schedule your consultation with Dr. Lewis and determine your candidacy for this procedure, call 704-658-0595.