Impact of olfactory disorders on personal safety & wellbeing: a cross-sectional observational study

Abstract Objectives: Olfactory dysfunction can expose individuals to day-to-day safety hazards. We sought to investigate the perceptions of safety in individuals affected with olfactory dysfunction, quantify the incidence of hazardous events, and how safety scares/incidents manifest through patient stories. Methods: A survey that included questions to capture quantitative and qualitative data was created. Responses were collected from 25th February 2022 to 28th September 2022. The survey was distributed through Fifth Sense media channels and open to anyone who claimed to suffer from olfactory dysfunction. Results: Our survey collected responses from 432 individuals. The majority were female (79.6%), ages 41-70. Around a fifth (16.7%) were non-UK residents, encompassing 21 different countries. Covid-19 was the commonest cause of olfactory dysfunction (22%). Majority (85.9%) were worried about any form of safety due to their smell dysfunction. Gas, smoke and food were major concerns. Specifically, 32.2%, 14.8%, 34.5%, 18.5% of participants have experienced at least one food incident, gas incident, gas scare, and work scare, respectively. Affected individuals have taken preventative measures at home (60.2%). Conclusion: There is an unmet need in mitigating safety concerns/events for individuals with olfactory dysfunction. We suggest educating the public sector and high-risk sectors such as gas companies, and introduction of safety ‘scratch and sniff’ cards as a screening method. Regular assessment of an individual’s olfactory ability, similar to routine assessments for other sensory systems (sight, hearing) would allow proactive identification of at-risk people, and allow corrective measures to take place.