Exclusion criteria
sinusitis, impaired baseline cognitive function, rhinological disorders, sinonasal polyposis, stroke, psychiatric illness, allergy, nasal blockage, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer, Parkinson, schizophrenia,, stenosis, neurotrauma
SINUSITIS, NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE, STROKE, ALLERGY, RHINOSINUSITIS, DISORDERS, DYSFUNCTION, NASOPHARYNGEAL TUMORS, ATROPHIC RHINITIS, DISEASE, STENOSIS
Individuals were excluded from the study if they had a previous history of olfactory or gustatory disorders, were undergoing active chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or treatment with estrogen inhibitors (aromatase), had impaired baseline cognitive function, had a history of neurodegenerative disease (Alzheimer, Parkinson, or Lewy body Disease), or were receiving medical therapy with known risk of affecting olfactory function. Additional exclusion criteria included presence of rhinological disorders (sinusitis, rhinosinusitis, sinonasal polyposis, atrophic rhinitis, allergy) at time of enrollment, history or chemo-radiotherapy of the head and neck region, history of stroke or neurotrauma, nasal blockage from stenosis or deformity, severe psychiatric illness (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, olfactory hallucination), previous sinonasal or nasopharyngeal tumors, or use of corticosteroid therapy to treat olfactory dysfunction within the past 30 days. In addition, any patients requiring maintenance on medications with anti-inflammatory or immune-modulating effects or who were not interested in participating were excluded from the study.