Clinical examination
During a clinical olfactory examination, the patient is asked to close his eyes. He is then held so-called “sniffin’ sticks” under his nose, which are pens that have a characteristic scent. Mainly aromatic substances with characteristic scents such as peppermint, coffee or clove oil are used, which the patient is asked to identify.
It is important to note that the smells are presented per nostril, i.e. separately.Now the patient must indicate whether and what he or she smells. If the patient does not indicate any olfactory perception of the aromatic scents, a non-aromatic substance such as ammonia is tested on him.
