Management and rehabilitation of patients with persistent olfactory disorders (hypo- and anosmia) (literature review)

Abstract

We present a review of the literature and our own data on the management and rehabilitation of impairment or persis‑tent loss of the olfactory function – hypo‑ and anosmia. Approaches for restoring impaired olfactory function can be divided into olfactory training, pharmacological and physiotherapy. Smell training is carried out according to a number of protocols that differ mainly in the used arsenal of smells, as well as in the frequency of their presentation. Pharma‑cologically, it is proposed to use steroids used both topically (intranasally) and systemically; there is no common view on the effectiveness of this approach. Physiotherapy involve electrical stimulation of the olfactory filaments in the area of their exit into the nasal cavity (lateral masses of the ethmoid bone). In our opinion the most rational approach is the use of training methods using different smells.