Olfactory Disorders, Snoring-OSA and Sinusitis in Real-Life: From General Population to Long COVID-19 Patients

Dear Colleagues,

The nose and its adjacent structure have a crucial role when it comes to smelling. Therefore, all the causes which damage this structure might induce smell loss, also known as anosmia. Anosmia might be due to different etiologies, such as local infection or trauma and age-related degeneration, leading to the loss of olfactory sense. Currently, anosmia has been recognized as a ubiquitous symptom of COVID-19 infection and has a high prevalence in patients with COVID-19. In particular, acute anosmia can be an initial symptom and even appear alone in patients who have contracted COVID-19. This uncommon feature might cause progressive and irreversible olfactory damage in patients with long COVID-19.  

However, upper airways, including the nose, sinus, and the oral pharynx area also function as a hollow tube to maintain physiological and mechanical respiration. In particular, the nose accounts for more than 50% of total upper airway resistance and plays a crucial role in the establishment of physiological functions. Hence, permanent unilateral or total nasal obstruction might contribute to a significant increase in total airway resistance. According to the Starling resistor model, constriction near the entrance hole (nostrils) and the posterior collapsible segment (oropharynx) might create a negative intraluminal pressure downstream (oropharynx), resulting in pharyngeal collapse in “predisposed individuals” during sleep. This consequence induces snoring, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and sleep quality disturbance, with critical harmful effects on metabolic and endocrinological activities and the cardiovascular system. It also impairs intellectual and professional performances due to its important impact on daytime tiredness and sleepiness and quality of life. Therefore, ENT doctors and sleep medicine physicians should recognize the link between two specialists for giving their patients the optimal treatment.

Hence, this Special Issue on “Olfactory Disorders, Snoring–OSA, and Sinusitis in Real Life: From the General Population to Long COVID-19 Patients” is open to the publication of relevant data and interesting or innovative ideas from clinical practices and research. The listed keywords suggest just a few of the many possibilities.

Prof. Dr. Sy Duong-Quy
Dr. Tran-Phan-Chung Thuy
Guest Editors

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