Loss of smell in patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease impacts mental health and quality of life.

BACKGROUND

The impact of anosmia on quality-of-life (QoL) for patients with aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is poorly understood. We aimed to investigate how the severity of smell loss and olfactory dysfunction (OD) in patients with AERD affects their QoL, mental health and physical well-being.

METHODS

Five validated QoL questionnaires (Sinonasal Outcome Test-22, Asthma Control Test, Healthy Days Core Module-4, Short Form-36 and Patient Health Questionnaire-4) and two newly developed questionnaires assessing severity and consequences of OD were electronically sent to all 2913 patients in the Brigham and Women's Hospital AERD registry. Responses were received from 853 participants for analysis.

RESULTS

Overall, 85% of participants reported a present diminished sense of smell and/or taste, and 30% categorized their OD severity was, "as bad as it can be." There were significant relationships between the severity of self-reported OD and both psychological distress and general health scores, even after adjusting for asthma control. Additionally, incidence rates for physically and mentally unhealthy days in the prior month were higher for patients with moderate or severe OD than for normosmic patients. Patients with diminished smell responded that they could not identify spoiled food (86%), did not enjoy food (71%), felt unsafe (63%) and had encountered dangerous situations (51%) as consequences of their OD.

CONCLUSIONS

Anosmia and hyposmia severely impact the physical, emotional and mental health of AERD patients, and lead to safety concerns in their daily lives. The importance of olfaction and the relevance of OD to patients' QoL should be acknowledged and evaluated by clinicians caring for these patients.