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Related Experiment Videos

Olfactory threshold and nasal mucosal changes in experimentally induced common cold

A Akerlund1, M Bende, C Murphy

  • 1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.

Acta Oto-Laryngologica
|January 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary

Common colds often diminish your sense of smell. This study found that nasal congestion, not discharge, is linked to impaired olfactory ability during a cold.

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Area of Science:

  • Otolaryngology
  • Neuroscience
  • Infectious Disease

Background:

  • The common cold is a prevalent human illness.
  • Impaired sense of smell (olfaction) is frequently reported during colds.
  • Controlled studies quantifying olfactory impairment in colds are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate olfactory ability changes during the common cold.
  • To determine the relationship between smell impairment and nasal symptoms (congestion and discharge).

Main Methods:

  • Volunteers were inoculated with human coronavirus 229E.
  • Olfactory thresholds were measured using a butanol discrimination step test.
  • Nasal congestion was assessed via nasal peak expiratory flow and acoustic rhinometry.

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  • Nasal discharge was quantified by weight.

    • Main Results:

    • Individuals with experimentally induced common colds exhibited impaired olfaction.
    • Smelling ability decline significantly correlated with nasal congestion.
    • No significant correlation was found between olfactory impairment and nasal discharge volume.

    Conclusions:

    • Nasal congestion is a key factor in smell impairment during the common cold.
    • Understanding these mechanisms can inform symptom management strategies.