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- What is Anosmia?
- Anosmia is the medical term for the loss of smell.
- If a person has a partial sense of smell, it is called hyposmia.
- Your sense of smell contributes to your everyday experiences. Smell is especially connected to the sense of taste. Having anosmia can affect the taste of food and drink.
- What symptoms are related to anosmia?
- If you have anosmia, this means you are unable to smell anything. Other symptoms you might experience depend on what causes your anosmia.
- What causes anosmia?
- Anosmia and hyposmia have many different causes. Most of the time, the causes of anosmia are age-related. Some people are born with anosmia.
- Injuries to the head and face can cause the loss of smell.
- Infections can also cause anosmia, such as:
- a cold
- influenza
- COVID-19
- Anosmia can also be caused by some chemicals and medicines. This includes some illicit drugs, such as cocaine.
- Other causes of anosmia are:
- brain tumours
- nasal polyps
- head injury
- vitamin deficiency
- hay fever (allergic rhinitis) or chronic sinusitis
- diseases including Parkinson’s disease, or Alzheimer’s disease
- smoking
- When should I see my doctor?
- If you notice a change in your sense of smell, see your doctor.
- How is anosmia diagnosed?
- To diagnose anosmia, your doctor might refer you to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist. The specialist can help diagnose your condition through:
- examine your nose, mouth and throat with a medical instrument called an endoscope
- doing scans such as a computed tomography (CT) scan or a magnetic image resonance (MRI) scan
- blood tests
- How is anosmia treated?
- Treatment depends on why you lost your sense of smell. It can involve:
- steroid medication
- antihistamines
- antibiotics
- surgery
- Can anosmia be prevented?
- You can protect your sense of smell by:
- avoiding certain chemicals
- avoiding certain drugs
- not smoking
- If you are taking any medicines, you can ask your doctor or pharmacist about the risk of anosmia.
- If you do have anosmia, you can make your home safer by:
- reading food expiry dates carefully
- making sure your smoke alarms are working
- checking that cookers, barbecues and electrical appliances are turned off properly
- Complications of anosmia
- If you have a cold, your sense of smell will usually come back within 1 or 2 weeks. See your doctor if your sense of smell doesn’t come back after this time.
- If you have anosmia, you may find that food tastes bland. This can affect your life, particularly if your family and social life revolves around meals. This can impact your appetite.
- If you have anosmia, you might also worry about:
- eating something that’s spoiled
- not noticing dangerous smells like gas or smoke
- Because of these reasons, having anosmia can negatively impact your mental health.
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