Anosmia – A holistic treatment approach

Anosmia, the inability to detect smell, is a clinical symptom which we encounter in our daily clinical practice which has a global prevalence of 3 to 20% and increases with the patient’s age. When dealing with anosmia, it is important to consider a holistic approach which includes a good diagnostic workup and subsequent medical and/or surgical treatment along with smell retraining therapy (SRT) and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for optimal outcomes. It is important to localize the smell training therapy to include culturally recognizable scents rather than opt for the standard smell training kit which may not be familiar to our patients. CBT has a greater role to play in the overall management of patients with anosmia due to its focus on emotional and practical consequences in daily living. Further studies are needed regarding this approach to better understand its applicability in standardized management.