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If the sense of smell has disappeared: how to restore and what to do
We deal with the problem together with a specialist.
Smell is one of the most important human senses. It can be used to identify and recognize a lot of things. Not to mention the simplest joys of life like the aroma of a delicious dish or the smell of flowers. But sometimes it happens that a person’s nose ceases to feel something (and this does not necessarily indicate a coronavirus infection). If the sense of smell has disappeared, in this case it must be restored. That’s quite possible.
What to do if the sense of smell has disappeared?
Why can the sense of smell disappear?
There can be a wide variety of reasons for losing the ability to smell. And only a few are directly dependent on human actions. As a rule, there are several types of diagnoses associated with this problem.
Anosmia. Complete loss of smell. As a rule, it occurs due to the flu or various infections related to the upper respiratory tract. May appear after a stroke or damage to the central nervous system.
Kakosmia. Wrong perception of smells. As a rule, this terrible symptom determines the tumor along the olfactory path.
Hyposmia. Reduced perception of odors. In most cases, the cause of hyposmia is a banal runny nose – due to edema and mucus, the smell simply cannot reach the receptors. Most often it affects people with chronic diseases of the sinuses of the nose or chronic rhinitis. In addition, the so-called naphthyzine “addicts” – people addicted to nasal drops, can achieve a similar effect.
It is very important to determine in time that the sense of smell has begun to disappear. At the first suspicion, it is worthwhile to conduct a small odor test.
It is necessary to take a few especially odorous liquids and substances – a standard set: soap, perfume, vinegar, and then in turn check each nostril for the perception of smell.
If you can smell all the substances, then everything is in order – normosmia… If only the most smelly substance is felt, that is, vinegar, then this hyposmia… And if it was not even possible to smell it, this indicates the presence anosmia, that is, the person has lost the sense of smell completely. In all cases, it is recommended not to delay correcting the situation.
The sense of smell has disappeared: how to restore it and who to contact?
At the first manifestation of this problem it is necessary to visit an otolaryngologist and find out what is the reason for the loss. If the sense of smell has disappeared, what to do in this case can only be determined by a qualified specialist.
Unfortunately, you cannot directly return the ability to smell to your nose. Therefore, it is necessary to deal directly with the cause, for example, addiction to drops, swelling or sinusitis. It is important to see a doctor right away – this will help not only fully restore the ability to smell, but also, possibly, identify a more serious diagnosis at an early stage.
Expert Opinion
– Loss of smell is one of the symptoms coronovirus (COVID-19). If you notice this symptom in yourself, especially if it is combined with the rest: loss of taste, dry cough, fever and shortness of breath, it is worth taking a test – PCR or ELISA. If the test is positive, but you are feeling well, then there is no reason to worry about losing your sense of smell. In about 45% of patients, the sense of smell is restored within two weeks. During quarantine, monitor your condition and in case of deterioration, be sure to contact a hospital or clinic.
If the test is negative, then you should see a doctor. Partial loss of smell (hyposmia) and complete loss of smell (anosmia) are the most common impairments to smell and taste. Since taste discrimination is based largely on the sense of smell, people first notice a decrease in their ability to smell if food appears tasteless. There are a number of diseases that can provoke hyposmia:
infections in the paranasal sinuses;
partial damage to the olfactory nerves;
poor oral hygiene;
mouth infection;
depression;
viral hepatitis can also lead to dysosmia (in which case, harmless odors often cause nausea).
And anosmia can be caused by taking the following medications:
antibiotics;
anticonvulsants;
antidepressants;
some chemotherapy drugs;
diuretics;
drugs for the treatment of arthritis;
drugs for the treatment of the thyroid gland.
Daria Vertinskaya, Expert