TOMOMI’S STORY: LIFE WITHOUT A SENSE OF SMELL
The Next Breath Editorial Team
February 2021
Personal Stories
Nasal Polyps
The smell of a newborn baby, the aroma and taste of fresh strawberries, the warning scent of gas that signals a leak. For Tomomi, whose chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) means that she has lived without a sense of smell, all of these scents – and the important moments and warnings that come with them – have been missing during periods of her life.
CRSwNP is an inflammatory disease in which nasal polyps – teardrop-shaped growths – form in the sinuses and nasal passages. It can cause symptoms including loss of smell and taste, nasal congestion, a constant runny nose, and facial pain.1 Along with 50% of people with nasal polyps, Tomomi also lives with asthma,2 which poses further concern. For example, her inability to smell means she cannot easily identify asthma triggers in the air in the same way others may be able to. And having coexisting diseases with excessive type 2 inflammation means that her symptoms can be more severe and difficult to treat.3
Tomomi had surgery to remove her nasal polyps but, unfortunately, even with surgery nasal polyps can reoccur.4 And surgery as a management option also does not target the underlying type 2 inflammation that is at the root of the disease for 80% of people with nasal polyps,5,6 as well as 50%-70% of people with asthma.7,8,9
Learn more about the burden that having nasal polyps has placed on Tomomi’s life by watching her full story below. You can also visit our nasal polyps page for more information, including a guide for making a plan with a doctor.
References:
- 1. Fokkens WJ, Lund VJ, Mullol J, Bachert C, Alobid I, Baroody F, Cohen N, Cervin A, Douglas R, Gevaert P, Georgalas C. EPOS 2012: European position paper on rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps 2012. A summary for otorhinolaryngologists. Rhinology. 2012 Mar;50(1):1-2.
- 2. Khan A, Vandeplas G, Huynh TMT, et al. The Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GALEN rhinosinusitis cohort: a large European cross-sectional study of chronic rhinosinusitis patients with and without nasal polyps. Rhinology. 2019;57(1):32-42.
- 3. Tay, T. R., Radhakrishna, N., Hore‐Lacy, F., Smith, C., Hoy, R., Dabscheck, E., & Hew, M. (2016). Comorbidities in difficult asthma are independent risk factors for frequent exacerbations, poor control and diminished quality of life. Respirology, 21(8), 1384-1390.
- 4. DeConde AS, Mace JC, Levy JM, Rudmik L, Alt JA, Smith TL. Prevalence of polyp recurrence after endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis. Laryngoscope. 2017;127(3):550-555.
- 5. Chaaban MR, Walsh EM, Woodworth BA. Epidemiology and differential diagnosis of nasal polyps. Am J Rhinol Allergy. 2013;27(6):473-478.
- 6. Van Zele T, Claeys S, Gevaert P, et al. Differentiation of chronic sinus diseases by measurement of inflammatory mediators. Allergy. 2006;61(11):1280-1289.
- 7. Peters MC, Mekonnen ZK, Yuan S, et al. Measure of gene expression in sputum cells can identify TH2-high and TH2-low subtypes of asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014;133(2):388-394.
- 8. Robinson D, Humbert M, Buhl R, et al. Revisiting type 2-high and type 2-low airway inflammation in asthma: current knowledge and therapeutic implications. Clin Exp Allergy. 2017: 47(2): 161-175.
- 9. Fahy JV. Type 2 inflammation in asthma — present in most, absent in many. Nat Rev lmmunol. 2015;15(1):57-65.
Date of Approval: January 2021 | MAT-GLB-2100058
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