The Unmet Need of Olfactory Testing in Inflammatory Disorders of the Upper Airways—An EAACI Position Paper

Publikation: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Forschungsartikel › Beigetragen › Begutachtung

Beitragende

  • L. Klimek - , Zentrum für Rhinologie und Allergologie Wiesbaden (Autor:in)
  • J. Mullol - , Universitat de Barcelona (Autor:in)
  • Th Hummel - , Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde (Autor:in)
  • S. del Giacco - , Università degli Studi di Cagliari (Autor:in)
  • C. Georgalas - , University of Nicosia (Autor:in)
  • C. Rondon - , Hospital Regional Universitario Carlos Haya, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA) (Autor:in)
  • M. Schiappoli - , Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona (Autor:in)
  • P. Gevaert - , Ghent University (Autor:in)
  • B. Bozkurt - , Selcuk University (Autor:in)
  • A. Chaker - , Technische Universität München (Autor:in)
  • S. Reitsma - , Universiteit van Amsterdam (Autor:in)
  • L. van Gerven - , KU Leuven (Autor:in)
  • J. Maza-Solano - , Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Universidad de Sevilla (Autor:in)
  • M. Lundberg - , University of Helsinki (Autor:in)
  • S. Becker - , Universitätsklinikum Tübingen (Autor:in)
  • F. Bärhold - , Zentrum für Rhinologie und Allergologie Wiesbaden (Autor:in)
  • A. Karavelia - , General Hopsital of Nafplio (Autor:in)
  • M. Cuevas - , Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde (Autor:in)
  • M. Gröger - , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (Autor:in)
  • P. Huber - , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (Autor:in)
  • S. Arasi - , IRCCS Ospedale pediatrico Bambino Gesù - Roma (Autor:in)
  • C. Cingi - , Osmangazi University (Autor:in)
  • M. Jesús Rojas-Lechuga - , Universitat de Barcelona, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias (Autor:in)
  • A. Izquierdo-Domínguez - , Terrassa Health Consortium, Centro Medico Teknon, Clinica Diagonal (Autor:in)
  • I. Agache - , Transilvania University of Brasov (Autor:in)
  • R. Gawlik - (Autor:in)
  • M. Sokolowska - , Universität Zürich (Autor:in)
  • I. M. Adcock - , Imperial College London (Autor:in)
  • G. Celik - , Prof.Dr. Gülfem Elif Çelik - Private Practice of Allergy and Immunology, Ankara University (Autor:in)
  • M. Escribese - , Universidad San Pablo CEU (Autor:in)
  • J. Walusiak-Skorupa - , Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine (Autor:in)
  • C. Betz - , Universität Hamburg (Autor:in)
  • O. Palomares - , Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Autor:in)
  • A. Moreira - , Universidade do Porto, São João Hospital (Autor:in)
  • P. Bonadonna - , Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona (Autor:in)
  • M. Shamji - , Imperial College London (Autor:in)
  • M. J. Torres Jaen - , Hospital Regional Universitario Carlos Haya, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA) (Autor:in)
  • C. Akdis - , Universität Zürich (Autor:in)
  • J. Hagemann - , Zentrum für Rhinologie und Allergologie Wiesbaden, Universitätsmedizin Mainz (Autor:in)
  • V. Hox - , Université catholique de Louvain (Autor:in)
  • S. Toppila-Salmi - , University of Eastern Finland, Pohjois-Savon hyvinvointialue, University of Helsinki (Autor:in)

Abstract

The sense of smell, with its extensive evolutionary history, is highly prone to disorders that can have a profound impact on daily life. Anosmia affects approximately 5% of the population, with an additional 15% exhibiting reduced olfactory function. The prevalence of olfactory dysfunction (OD) varies by population and age group, and standardized testing reveals a broad range of impacts. OD includes various causes, most commonly aging, inflammation of the olfactory epithelium, upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), traumatic brain injury, and neurological conditions. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the association between viral infections and olfactory dysfunction, with severe hyposmia/anosmia being an early marker of infection. Despite its importance, the assessment of olfactory function remains inconsistent across clinical practices. Psychophysical smell tests, while vital for diagnosis and patient management, are underutilized, especially outside of specialized centers. Standardized testing methods are crucial for objective diagnosis, but significant challenges, including test variability, lack of comparability, and healthcare reimbursement issues, persist. The European Academy of Allergy and Immunology (EAACI) advocates for improvements in the quality and standardization of chemosensory assessments. Future efforts must prioritize education, incentives for better testing, and the integration of digital tools to expand access to olfactory testing and diagnosis in remote or quarantine situations. However, office-based testing remains irreplaceable, even with advancements in telemedicine.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)2633-2655
Seitenumfang23
FachzeitschriftAllergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Jahrgang81
Ausgabenummer8
PublikationsstatusElektronische Veröffentlichung vor Drucklegung - 2 Feb. 2026
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

ORCID /0000-0001-9713-0183/work/205992138
ORCID /0009-0007-1117-2210/work/205993017

Schlagworte

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

  • Immunologie und Allergologie - chemosensory function, COVID-19, gustation, olfaction, taste, upper airway disease
  • Immunologie - chemosensory function, COVID-19, gustation, olfaction, taste, upper airway disease

Schlagwörter

  • chemosensory function, COVID-19, gustation, olfaction, taste, upper airway disease