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SOSI White Paper:
Quality of Life in Olfactory Dysfunction |
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Therapy of olfactory disorders
Therapeutic possibilities in olfactory disorders are limited. Therapy has been proven to be effective only for olfactory dysfunction due to sinonasal disease. Specifically, either surgical therapy (e.g., polypectomy, sinusotomy, or ethmoidectomy) or topical or systemic administration of corticosteroids may be helpful 66. In steroid-dependent hyposmia/anosmia high doses of steroids will restore the sense of smell 67, 68. While this may also serve as a diagnostic test, low-dose, long-term steroid therapy can be used to maintain olfactory sensitivity. A different approach to the treatment of olfactory disorders is the detection and treatment of underlying causes. Studies with zinc have produced controversial results 47, 69. Similarly, results on estrogen replacement therapy are not encouraging in terms of olfactory disturbances 70. Controlled studies are missing regarding orally administered vitamin A 71-74. More recently, alpha-lipic acid 75 or the NMDA-antagonist caroverine 69 have been added to the list of potential candidates for the treatment of olfactory dysfunction.
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