Olfactory performance after crenotherapy in chronic rhinosinusitis in the elderly

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Gerontology
• Therapeutic modalities

Background:

• Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) frequently causes olfactory dysfunction in the elderly.
• Olfactory impairment significantly impacts quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of crenotherapy in improving olfactory performance in elderly patients diagnosed with CRS.
• To evaluate the safety and tolerability of crenotherapy.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal case-control study involving 137 elderly patients with CRS.
• Participants were randomized to receive either crenotherapy (hyperthermal mineral-rich water) or a saline (NaCl 0.9%) control for 12 days.
• Olfactory function was measured using the Sniffin' Sticks (SS) test at baseline, and at 1 and 6 months post-treatment.

Main Results:

• Crenotherapy led to a statistically significant improvement in olfactory function (SS total score) in elderly patients with CRS.
• No significant olfactory improvement was observed in the control group or in elderly patients with hyposmia but without CRS.
• No adverse reactions were reported, indicating good tolerability.

Conclusions:

• Crenotherapy is an effective and safe treatment for improving olfactory function in elderly individuals suffering from CRS.
• This study supports crenotherapy as a viable therapeutic strategy for managing CRS-associated olfactory dysfunction in the geriatric population.