Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Feb 2;5(1):2473974X20986756.
doi: 10.1177/2473974X20986756. eCollection 2021 Jan-Mar.

Smell and Taste Impairment in a Nationwide Sample of US Adults With Chronic Rhinosinusitis Symptoms

James H Kim  1 , Janet Choi  1 , Sophie S Jang  2 , Bozena B Wrobel  1 , Elisabeth H Ference  1
Affiliations

Smell and Taste Impairment in a Nationwide Sample of US Adults With Chronic Rhinosinusitis Symptoms

James H Kim et al. OTO Open. .

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of objectively confirmed olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in US adults reporting chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) symptoms in a nationally representative database.

Study design: Cross-sectional epidemiologic analysis.

Setting: Data were analyzed from the smell and taste component of the 2013-2014 NHANES data set (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey).

Methods: Individuals reporting the presence of ≥2 cardinal CRS symptoms (nasal blockage, sinus pain, discolored mucus, and dysosmia) were identified as patients with a potential diagnosis of CRS. Associations were examined between the presence of CRS symptoms and both self-reported and objectively measured smell and taste.

Results: One-third (33%) of adults who have ≥2 CRS symptoms report subjective olfactory impairment, though only 18% of these adults have quantifiable olfactory dysfunction on objective testing. Of these adults, 27% report subjective taste impairment, but just 17% have quantifiable gustatory dysfunction on objective testing. The presence of ≥2 CRS symptoms was not significantly associated with objective olfactory or gustatory dysfunction, although the individual symptoms of subjective dysosmia and discolored mucus were associated with objectively confirmed olfactory dysfunction.

Conclusion: The prevalence of objective olfactory and gustatory dysfunction was higher among adults reporting the presence of ≥2 CRS symptoms, but the differences were not statistically significant. Specific sinonasal symptoms, including discolored mucus and subjective smell dysfunction, were significantly associated with objective smell impairment.

Keywords: NHANES; chronic rhinosinusitis; hyposmia; olfaction; taste.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Estimated prevalence of smell and taste impairment among adults with ≥2 chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) symptoms. Error bars indicate 95% CI. *P < .05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bhattacharyya N, Gilani S. Prevalence of potential adult chronic rhinosinusitis symptoms in the United States. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2018;159(3):522-525. doi:10.1177/019459981 8774006 - PubMed
    1. Pleis JR, Lethbridge-Cejku M. Summary health statistics for US adults: national health interview survey, 2006. Vital Health Stat 10 2007;(235):1-153. - PubMed
    1. Benninger M, Ferguson B, Hadley J. Adult chronic rhinosinusitis: definitions, diagnosis, epidemiology, and pathophysiology. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2003;129(3):S1-S32. doi:10.1016/S0194-5998(03)01397-4 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Rosenfeld RM, Piccirillo JF, Chandrasekhar SS, et al. Clinical practice guideline (update): adult sinusitis executive summary. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015;152(4):598-609. doi:10.1177/0194599815574247 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Croy I, Nordin S, Hummel T. Olfactory disorders and quality of life—an updated review. Chemical Senses. 2014;39(3):185-194. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjt072 - DOI - PubMed