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Clinical presentation of COVID-19 infection can be variable in the current pandemic even in patients presenting to the clinic with a mild history of upper respiratory complaints. Various cutaneous manifestations have been noticed in COVID-19 patients with herpes zoster (HZ) being one among them. HZ is an infection that results when varicella zoster virus reactivates from its latent state in the posterior dorsal root ganglion. Here, we aim to expand our knowledge by reporting three cases of associated zoster infection in COVID-19 patients admitted to our intensive care unit in view of respiratory complaints. All the three patients admitted, had revealed lymphocytopenia at the time of HZ diagnosis, and were managed conservatively throughout the course. In all the cases, acyclovir/valacyclovir led to the resolution of lesions in 10 days. No postherpetic sequelae were observed. We here suggest that the clinical presentation of HZ at the time of the current pandemic should be considered as an alarming sign for a latent subclinical SARS CoV-2 infection and thorough follow-up of such patients be adopted.Copyright © 2021 Bali Journal of Anesthesiology. All rights reserved.
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Background: Since the outbreak of COVID-19, vaccination has been considered as an important measure against it. Side effects have always been an inseparable component of vaccination, which in this study, Sinopharm vaccine, its side effects and the differences of their manifestation amongst men and women have been investigated. Objective(s): This study aimed to compare the side effects of the Sinopharm vaccine among men and women working in some medical centers in Tehran, Iran. Method(s): This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study on 890 healthcare workers of 7 medical centers in Tehran within 2 months, from late June to late August 2021. The samples were selected by the complete enumeration method, and the required data were collected using a questionnaire. Only those who received the Sinopharm vaccine at least 10 days before the study were included. Result(s): Of 890 participants, 22.96% and 77.30% were women and men, respectively, and 65.8% of women and 78.1% of men were in the age range of 20-29 years. It was revealed that 74.75% of women and 26.16% of men had at least one side effect. The incidence of at least one side effect was significantly higher in women than in men (P<0.001). It was also found that 12 side effects were significantly higher in women than in men. Most men and women had side effects within the first 24 h after vaccination. There was no significant difference in taking therapeutic measures to reduce or minimize the post-vaccination complications between men and women;however, 9.4% of men and 27.2% of women reported a decline in their ability to perform daily activities as they were unable to do their everyday tasks the day after vaccination which was significantly different between the two groups (P<0.001). Conclusion(s): The results showed that the occurrence rate of side effects after receiving the Sinopharm vaccine was significantly higher in women than in men. Moreover, women were significantly less able to perform daily routines than men.Copyright © 2022, Author(s).
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Studies about headaches associated with acute ischemic stroke in patients suffering from migraine were limited, and therefore we present a clinical case of central post-stroke pain (CPSP) in a 47-year-old woman with migraine and lacunar infarcts in the medulla oblongata and also possible mechanisms of CPSP in patients with migraine. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed lacunar infarction in the medulla oblongata on the right (vertebral artery basin) and a single focus of gliosis in the parietal lobe on the right. Magnetic resonance angiography of cerebral vessels showed the fetal type of structure of both posterior cerebral arteries. This clinical case is a complex clinical situation of a combination of secondary headaches (post-stroke) in a patient with a primary headache (migraine), which was successfully treated by the combined administration of first-line drugs for the treatment of neuropathic pain in a patient with lacunar infarcts in the medulla oblongata. The treatment of CPSP is a difficult task due to the insufficiently unexplored mechanisms of development, the most effective approaches are those aimed at reducing the increased excitability of neurons.Copyright © 2023, Indian Association of Biomedical Scientists. All rights reserved.
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Public health officials are gravely concerned about the harm that viral illnesses continue to pose to humanity, various viral outbreaks, including the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona-Virus (MERS-CoV), H1N1 influenza, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and SARS CoV-2 or COVID-19 that struck the globe in December 2019. A wide range of COVID-19 oral symptoms, such as ulceration, blisters, enanthems, hemorrhagic sores and cheilitis. Aim(s): to investigate the prevalence of oral symptoms amongst COVID-19 patients due to the disease's aggressive nature and diverse symptomatology and to assess the impact of oral health conditions on COVID-19 disease severity in a sample of Iraqi people. Material(s) and Method(s): a cross-sectional study was conducted on (200) patients in total, (81) male and (119) female, who were identified as SARS-COV2 patients. Result(s): COVID confirmed patients were involved in the present study with mean age (36.69+/-17.22) years & age range of (16-78) years. at least one of the oral manifestations was present in 72.5% of the patients, while about 27.5% did not experience any oro-facial symptoms. The oral symptom with the highest prevalence was dry mouth 50% followed by gustatory dysfunction 37% then burning mouth sensation 22.5% after that the oral pain 17%;myofacial pain 15.5 %;stomatitis\mucositis 14.5%;the prevalence of aphthous lesions, fissural cheilitis and tongue depapillation were at the same percentage which was 9.5%;then candidiasis 7.5%;the least prevalent oral symptoms was gingival bleeding at percentage of 2.5%. Conclusion(s): COVID-19 has a noticeable effect on oral cavity, there was a correlations between some general and orofacial manifestations of COVID-19.Copyright © 2023, Codon Publications. All rights reserved.
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December 2019 has become one of the most surprising days in the whole world in light of the flare-up of a most infectious sickness brought about by novel Covid or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study is conducted to assess the benefits of the use of home remedies to prevent the cause of Covid-19 and evaluate the assessment of dietary changes and physical activity in the prevention of Covid-19. A questionnaire-based online survey is conducted using Google forms consisting of multiple-choice questions about home remedies, lifestyle and dietary changes made by the people during this pandemic. These home remedies included using different types of herbal preparations, steam inhalation, physical exercise and OTC medications for prophylaxis. Questions likewise included about being infected by Coronavirus-19(during first wave or second) and their recovery period, additionally collected their viewpoint for changes made, for example how much they are useful in the prevention of the attack and whenever encountered any undesirable impacts. Total responses were 210, among which 121(57.6%) responses were from females and 89(42.4%) from males. 65 people tested Covid positive (42 during the first wave and 23 during the second wave). 118(56.2%) of people think these changes are very beneficial. (Rated 4 and 5 out of 5 points). From our survey, we concluded that different herbal preparations of their composition, which they thought are helpful, and steam inhalations have been used. Rating regarding the use and effectiveness was also found to be average. Further studies are needed to prove and provide clear evidence about adverse and side effects associated with the use of herbal products.Copyright © 2022 Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research. All rights reserved.
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SARS-CoV-2 infection has been associated with multiple neurological manifestations. One such manifestation, which has been described since the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and is relevant for current neurological practice, is Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). The literature describes neurotoxic mechanisms of the virus itself and the possible pathways by which it may affect the peripheral nerves in experimental studies;however, we still lack information on the mechanisms causing the immune response that gives rise to GBS in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Colombia is one of the Latin American countries worst affected by the pandemic, with the third-highest number of cases in the region;thus, it is essential to recognise GBS, as this potential postinfectious complication may severely compromise the patient's functional status in the absence of timely diagnosis and treatment. We present a series of 12 cases of GBS associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection from hospitals in 4 different Colombian cities and describe the clinical presentation, laboratory and electrophysiological study findings, and treatment.Copyright © 2022 Sociedad Espanola de Neurologia
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Covid 19 is a pandemic disease spread almost in the whole world. To date, no medical advancement to curb the virus. Coronavirus is an enveloped virus transmitted from the biological and non-biological surface by direct or indirect contact. Limited literature revealed that the enveloped virus can be killed by disinfectants. There are many biocidal agents used for decontamination of the virus, yet they have many issues like toxicity, killing time, activation requirement, etc. Some are specific to the inanimate surface but not used by a human being. This current situation showed an urgent need for a biocidal agent which can act on biological as well as non-biological surfaces without any potential toxicity. Moreover, it should be easy to handle, inexpensive, and safe for the environment. Hypochlorous acid is a weak acid that acts as a powerful disinfectant and shows biocidal efficacy against a wide range of microorganisms. Hypochlorous acid is simple to use, inexpensive, eco-friendly, non-toxic, and stable. The properties of HOCl can be regulated at the site of preparation and therefore, its compliance is high. Hypochlorous acid seems to be a promising agent in disinfection and sterilization in healthcare facilities. Due to its diverse biocidal actions, it may be used as a potent disinfectant against novel coronavirus.Copyright © 2022 Bentham Science Publishers.
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Introduction: Urticaria is a common condition which has clinical overlap with urticarial vasculitis, a rare entity affecting <1% of the population. We report a case of typical acute urticaria evolving into urticarial vasculitis. Case Description: A 58-year-old female with a history of endometrial hyperplasia, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and asthma was initially seen in Allergy and Immunology clinic following an episode of severe perioperative anaphylaxis, determined to be due to cefazolin. Two months later, she presented with new-onset urticaria and angioedema following a mild self-resolving viral illness. The rash was pruritic, with migratory lesions lasting for <24 hours, and not associated with ecchymoses upon resolution. Initial physical examination was notable for erythematous wheals with blanching. She was started on high dose second-generation antihistamines and received multiple steroid tapers with transient improvement. Four weeks after initiation of the rash, she developed a new-onset burning sensation at its site and subsequently developed painful hyperpigmented purpuric lesions in prior areas of urticaria. She had no associated fever, ocular involvement, abdominal pain, or joint pains. Laboratory values were significant for negative CBC, CMP, ESR, TSH, tryptase, c-KIT mutation analysis, ANA, C1q, C3, C4, and SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibodies. Extensive autoimmune workup was negative. Skin biopsy revealed leukocytoclastic vasculitis consistent with urticarial vasculitis. Patient was started on omalizumab with initial improvement. Discussion(s): Although initially presenting with acute urticaria, the progression of atypical urticarial symptoms warranted consideration of alternative diagnoses, including urticarial vasculitis. This case highlights the clinical overlap between acute/chronic urticaria and urticarial vasculitis which may result in a delay in diagnosis. Copyright © 2022
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Organs such as the mouth, nose and eyes are the gateway for the coronavirus. If favorable conditions for the increase of infection are created in the oral mucosa with a decrease in immunity, the virus binds to the ACE-2 molecule (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 membrane protein) and affects the epithelium. In the future, if the oral cavity is not protected, not only the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, but also the tissues around the teeth and the throat, as well as petechiae and stomach ulcers, can be observed [1, 2, 6, 7]. The process of development of ulcers in the oral cavity: painful inflammation of the papillae of the tongue (day), then the appearance of an erythematous spot (day), which turns into irregular and asymptomatic ulcers;therefore, many patients may be unaware of an oral ulcer due to the absence of pain (Chaux-Bodard et al., 2020). The burning sensation in the mouth (22.4%) could be due to several causes (eg, candida infection, dry mouth, mouth ulceration, or medications). A viral infection can weaken the immune system, causing secondary infections such as oral thrush. Candidiasis is the most common opportunistic infection in HIV (Nokta, 2008) and has also been reported in Covid-19 (dos Santos et al., 2020). The manifestation of oral lesions in patients with Covid-19 may be related to the direct or indirect effect of SARSCoV-2 on the oral mucosa, hypersensitivity to drugs taken during Covid-19 infection, the patient's susceptibility to the disease itself, or the duration of hospitalization. The SARS-CoV-2 virus infects human cells through angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE-2) receptors, since ACE-2 acts as the primary host cell receptor for this virus [4, 5, 8]. The oral cavity is an open biological system, in which there is a constant balance between pathogenic factors, such as viruses, bacteria, and the body's defenses. However, such an important balance is often attacked, both due to the multiplication and accelerated development of microorganisms and viruses, and due to the weakening of the very factors of general and especially local immune defense [3]. Immunoglobulins and lytic enzymes play an important role in the body's defense system;they are a component of immunity that-provides protection against pathogens (a wide range of bacteria, fungi, viruses), and also participate in the development of inflammation processes, maintenance and regulation of the adaptive immune system. One of the important components of the complex mechanism of innate immunity are neutrophils, when activated by pathogenic or opportunistic microorganisms, a wide range of anti-inflammatory cytokines is secreted. Copyright © 2022, Anka Publishers. All rights reserved.
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Objective To determine the frequency of skin manifestations associated with prolonged mask wearing during the course of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU), Karachi. A total of 138 medical students, who gave history of wearing masks were enrolled. The demographic data including age, gender, and their year of education was collected. A total of 20 questions were asked related to the type of mask, duration of wearing mask, associated and underlying skin disorders, etc. All information was carefully recorded on Google forms. Results This study included 138 participants, 124 (89.9%) females and 14 (10.1%) males. The type of masks used by the medical students varied, however 84.8% used surgical masks. The average duration of mask wear was 4 hours for 72.4% of the participants. There was no significant relation between skin changes and the type and duration of mask wear. The common skin manifestations reported in this study were itching (24.6 %), redness (27.5%), rash (10.1%), burning sensation (12.3%), acne (24.6%), pimples (37.7%), pigmentation (8.7), cracked skin (1.4%), scaling of skin (2.9%), and 29.7% reported no changes. The most frequently affected locations were cheeks (41.3%), followed by chin (13.8%), nasal bridge (10.1%) and perioral area (8%). Participants with history of atopic dermatitis were affected slightly more by itching, redness, rash, burning sensation, acne than those without a history of atopic dermatitis however these manifestations had no significant relation (p>0.05). Pressure bruises were reported in 23.9% of the participants and there was no significant relation with the skin manifestations. About 33% of the females who use makeup under the mask found it inconvenient due to pimples and itching. (p<0.05). Relationship between different skin types and use of cleansers for maintaining skin hygiene generally (p=0.006) and after taking mask off is significant (p=0.034). Significant relation exists between people experiencing pimples after taking off masks and using oral/systemic drugs (p=0.003), and other products (ice cubes, day cream, steroids, skincare regime) for management (p=0.012). Significant relation exists between acne after taking off mask and use of topical drugs (p=0.034). Conclusion The increase in skin manifestations is associated with the increased use of face masks during the COVID 19 pandemic among medical students. As mask wearing can't be compromised due to the nature of the working environment, certain guidelines need to be established to prevent or reduce the occurrence of such manifestations.
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Background: While long-term physical and psychological effects of COVID-19 remain unknown, it is clear that a proportion of COVID-19 survivors develop protracted respiratory, cardiovascular, neurologic, dermatologic, and/or gastrointestinal symptoms and complications following acute illness, herein referred to as long COVID (LC) syndrome.Females appear to be at higher risk for LC, and also have higher rates of childhood trauma, which is associated with a heightened inflammatory response to stress. The present study investigated the impact of childhood trauma on COVID-19 illness course and recovery, including mental health outcomes. Methods: Participants (N=244), recruited via social media, Prolific.au, and from a post-COVID clinical treatment trial, completed online self-report measures of premorbid health, COVID-19 positivity, symptoms, and recovery, along with measures of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and childhood (CTE) and recent (RTE) traumatic experiences. Results: Compared to recovered participants (N=110), the LC group (N=158) was older and predominantly female. Those who reported one or more CTE were nearly 3-fold more likely to develop LC (OR=2.87, CI, 0.95 to 8.60) while those who endorsed two or more CTE were 4.5 times more likely (OR=4.56, CI, 1.61 to 12.33). A binary logistic regression analysis revealed that chest pain (p<.001), fatigue (p=.031), burning sensation (p=.002), and olfactory hallucinations (p<.001) during acute COVID, along with sex (p=.001) and age (p<.001) predicted LC. Compared to pre-COVID diagnoses, rates of PTSD (p<.001), depression (p<.001), and generalized anxiety (χ2=12.32, p<.001) increased across the entire sample and current PTSD (p=.001, partial η2=.042), depression (p<.001, partial η2=.048), and anxiety (p=.017, partial η2=.022) severity were higher in the LC group. Discussion: These findings suggest that childhood trauma or early adversity may prove relevant to the development of long COVID via central nervous system changes and dysfunction in the form of central sensitization, somatosensory disruptions, and/or dysautonomia, resulting from a heightened inflammatory response. Psychiatric outcomes should be assessed following acute COVID-19, and future research is needed to determine the unique contributions of COVID-19 and general pandemic stress to post-illness mental health.
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Introduction: The lack of a history of the course of a new coronavirus infection and the lack of data from randomised trials makes it difficult to choose the right treatment tactics and prescribe adequate prophylaxis in patients who have suffered from COVID-19. Comorbid patients with cardiovascular diseases and endothelial dysfunction have a high risk of a severe course of COVID-19 and subsequent thrombotic complications, which manifest clinically as cardiomyopathy;venous thrombo-embolism (deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism);pulmonary thrombosis in situ;stroke;arterial thrombangiitis;rarely, arterial peripheral thrombosis and microvascular thrombosis, in the lungs, liver, kidneys, brain, etc.;and mild disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome. The role of endothelial dysfunction in the development of severe complications is underestimated. In the pathogenesis of COVID-19, the defeat of the microcirculatory bed plays a crucial role. The SARS-CoV-2 virus causes associated endotheliitis damage to the endothelium due to virus entry and cytokine storm. Endotheliitis leads to the release of tissue factor, which leads to the formation of an excess of thrombin and fibrin;the body tries to cover the virus with these and prevent its spread, which entails negative side effect such as thrombosis Methods: Sixty-six patients who had COVID-19 were examined (42 women and 24 men;mean age 48 years [range 20 – 80 years]). Patients complained of a feeling of paraesthesia, mainly in the lower extremities, a feeling of heaviness, stiffness in the popliteal region, an increased vascular pattern on the entire surface of the skin, a burning sensation in all vessels, and a feeling of weakness. Ultrasound colour duplex scanning showed no signs of thrombosis in the large vessels. Using a high frequency ultrasound Doppler and a 25 MHz sensor, the nailbed of the first finger of the upper limb was examined. The microcirculatory images were analysed by the shape and spectrum of the curves. Twenty patients received prophylaxis with rivaroxaban 10 mg daily (group 1) and 46 patients did not (group 2). The control examination was carried out four weeks after the start of therapy: sulodexide one capsule twice daily. The coagulogram parameters were also studied. Results: A depletion in spectral characteristics was seen in patients after COVID-19 disease, in comparison to microcirculatory images recorded in healthy individuals. Predominantly, the red part of the spectrum was recorded in patients after COVID-19, the lighter part of the spectrum was not recorded. Group 1 patients had higher amplitude parameters than group 2, but they also registered a depletion in spectral characteristics. Soluble fibrin monomer complexes were increased 4 – 5 times, D-dimer 2 – 2.5 times, and antithrombin III 1.5 times. The international normalised ratio, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, prothrombin according to Quick, prothrombin time, clotting time, and bleeding time were within the reference intervals both before and after treatment. Upon repeat examination four weeks after the course of sulodexide therapy, the spectral characteristics were normalised, and the coagulogram parameters were also normalised. Conclusion: The red part of the spectrum, according to the Doppler criteria, corresponds to the fastest particles moving in the middle of the stream. The lighter part of the spectrum corresponds to particles moving more slowly. The reduction in spectral characteristics in patients after COVID-19 disease corresponds to parietal stasis and readiness for thrombosis, which was confirmed by the coagulogram data. Examination of the nailbed using high frequency ultrasound Doppler in patients who have COVID-19 allows the identification of stasis of the parietal blood flow, which corresponds to a prethrombotic state. The prescription of sulodexide allows for an improvement in the condition of patients and normalisation of microcirculation indicators
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Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic disease characterized by the presence of persistent oral mucosa pain, mainly burning sensation without any detectable clinical cause or modified general investigations. Coronavims infections, in some patients, caused sensations of oral burning, of a neuropathic nature, which mimicked the symptoms of BMS. In addition, the psychiatric manifestations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated the symptoms of patients already diagnosed with burning mouth syndrome. Based on these observations, we conducted a longitudinal study to assess the changes in depressive and anxiety symptoms in BMS patients during the pandemics. We recruited two groups of age and gender-matched BMS patients. The first group included patients with BMS diagnosed with coronavirus infection and the second one without coronavims infection. The study concluded that in patients with coronavims infection there was an intensification of anxiety-depressive symptoms more pronounced in the first 6 months after infection (duration being associated with the infection severity and long-COVID symptoms), followed by a recurrence or even decrease in symptoms compared to the initial examination Oral symptomatology had a similar evolution, the intensity being determined by the severity of the COVID-19 infection episode and by the prolonged use of antivirals. The lack of a larger number of studies and patients with BMS and COVID-19 infection limited the possibility of comparative analyses.
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Numerous cutaneous reactions have been reported secondary to COVID-19 vaccinations. The most commonly reported include local site reactions, delayed large local reactions, urticaria and morbilliform eruptions. Here we report a case of de novo subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) after COVID-19 immunization. A 56-year-old woman presented with a 3-month history of a rash. The onset was 1 week following the first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. She reported lesions characterized by erythema, pruritus and a burning sensation. She also described mouth dryness. Examination revealed scaly annular erythematous plaques on the chest, arms, legs and scalp. Blood results were positive for anti-Ro antibodies and strongly positive for anti-nuclear antibodies (1: 2560 titre). Anti-Smith, anti-centromere and double- stranded DNA antibodies were negative. Skin biopsy revealed the histological appearance of an interface of dermatitis. Direct immunofluorescence was negative. These clinical and histopathological findings are consistent with a diagnosis of SCLE. The patient was treated with hydroxychloroquine, a weaning course of prednisolone, topical steroids and topical tacrolimus. Her hydroxychloroquine dose was 200 mg twice daily for the first 3 months and then increased to 400 mg twice daily. This resulted in an improvement of her presentation although she has yet to achieve complete remission. It has been suggested that enhanced interferon responses with COVID-19 vaccination and interactions of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with cytoplasmic RNA-binding proteins could contribute to disease flares in lupus. There are two other recent reports of SCLE developing or being exacerbated by COVID-19 vaccination. More research is required to determine how COVID-19 vaccinations affect patients with autoimmune skin diseases.
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OBJECTIVE: To explore the COVID-19 associated ocular manifestation in subjects visited tertiary hospital Hyderabad-Pakistan. METHODOLOGY: This observational prospective study was conducted at the Institute of Ophthalmology, Liaquat University Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) Jamshoro from August 2020 to January 2021. All subjects’ ages range from 18 to 65 years visiting the out-patient eye department and/ or admitted to the emergency ward of LUMHS Jamshoro having a positive nasopharyngeal PCR for COVID-19 with and without ocular signs and symptoms were included. The questionnaire proforma was designed to obtain related information. Social sciences of the statistical package, SPSS 22 version was used for results analysis. RESULTS: Out of one hundred and eleven subjects, forty-nine (44.1%) subjects with ocular symptoms and Sixty-two (55.8%) without ocular symptoms had a fever and 7(14.2%) and 17(27.4%) had prior ocular history, respectively. Conjunctival secretion (57.1%) was found the most common abnormality of ocular surface manifestation followed by pain, redness, and burning sensation. Applying univariate analysis general characteristics exposed that gender, age, fever, ocular prior history, ventilation mechanical, state of disposition, and markers of inflammation were not associated significantly with ocular symptoms. CONCLUSION: Conjunctival secretion was found the most common abnormality of ocular surface manifestation associated with COVID-19 infection. The increasing proportion of ocular COVID-19 signs and symptoms cannot be ignored. To obtain better outcomes, prompt and aggressive eye management is still necessary.
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BACKGROUND: Smell, taste and trigeminal disorders likely have a substantial impact on human daily life. However, data regarding the prevalence of these disorders in Norway are scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of smell, taste, trigeminal disorders and associated factors in a 65-year-old population in Oslo, Norway. METHODS: A random sample of 223 individuals (123 men, 100 women) participated in the study. Medical history was obtained, and unstimulated whole saliva (UWS) and stimulated whole saliva (SWS) were collected to determine salivary secretion rates. Sniffin`n Sticks and Taste Strips (Burghart Messtechnik GmbH, Wedel, Germany) were used for quantitative testing of olfactory and gustatory function. In addition, the participants' self-reported perceptions of smell and taste, and burning mouth sensation were investigated. RESULTS: The results showed that 34 % of the participants had reduced smell (28 % hyposmia and 6 % anosmia) and 28 % had reduced taste perception (21 % hypogeusia and 7 % ageusia). 13 % of the partcipants had a combination of smell and taste disorders. Dysgeusia was reported by 5 % and burning mouth sensation (syndrome) by 3 % of the participants. Hyposmia, hypogeusia and ageusia were significantly more prevalent among men. Significant associations were found between taste disorders and previous history of cerebral hemorrhage and heart attack, and between burning mouth sensation and gastrointestinal disorders. Disturbances in olfactory, gustatory and trigeminal function were significantly related to medication use. Ageusia and burning mouth sensation were significantly more prevalent among smokers. Except from higher prevalence of ageusia among participants with hyposalivation with respect to SWS, no significant associations were found between salivary secretion rate and chemosensory or trigeminal disorders in the present study. CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed that one-third of 65-year-old individuals had impaired smell and more than one-fourth had impaired taste function. The prevalence of dysgeusia and burning mouth sensation was very low. Reduced smell and taste perception were more common among men than women. Furthermore, some diseases and medications were associated with chemosensory and trigeminal disorders. Ageusia was associated with SWS hyposalivation.