Impact of Smell Testing on Health Outcomes

Smell dysfunction is frequent yet neglected. The sense of smell plays a crucial role in signaling disease, safety, and overall quality of life. However, the significance of a functional sense of smell in terms of health and well-being is often overlooked until one experiences a loss of smell due to injury or disease. Research demonstrates that individuals are often not self-aware of their smell dysfunction (i.e. they do not spontaneously report smell dysfunction as a symptom), especially if the changes are gradual, as in normal aging. Patients with smell dysfunction experience a marked reduction in quality of life, poor mental health, nutritional health, and brain health as well as increased 5- and 10-year mortality in older adults. This study explores whether or not enabling healthcare providers to offer resources and guidance on coping strategies for smell dysfunction improves health and wellbeing in those who experience it.