Anosmia (loss Of Smell): Symptoms, Causes And Treatment
Losing a sense is always a cause of significant discomfort and difficulties in daily life. People who suffer from blindness or deafness require certain help to be able to fully carry out their lives, not without encountering obstacles along the way.
However, losing the sense of taste or touch also usually has a very negative impact on people.
In this article We are going to talk about the loss of the ability to smell, that is, anosmia This little-known disability is not something that should be considered trivial, as it can even pose a threat to the person affected by this condition.
Anosmia is the inability to perceive smell or, it can also be significant decrease in olfactory ability
This problem can have a variable duration, in many cases being temporary, due to a cold or some temporary problem in the respiratory tract. In other cases, the cause may be more serious and cause permanent anosmia, such as the genetic factor and having suffered an accident with brain damage, especially if the brain structures responsible for the sense of smell have been damaged.
Thus, the cause of this problem can be both in the nasal passages and in the nerves and brain. This can cause different types of anosmia , affecting the ability to smell in one or both nostrils. When you cannot only smell odors in one nostril, we speak of unilateral anosmia.
Terms related to anosmia are hyposmia, which is a decreased ability to smell, and hyperosmia, which is when you smell more intensely. It may be the case that it is anosmic only for certain types of odors. When anosmia occurs from birth, it is called congenital anosmia.
How do we smell?
To better understand how anosmia can occur, we must first understand how our sense of smell works. Odor is the sensation resulting from inhaling particles that adhere to receptors on the mucous membranes of the nose. These receptors are found in the yellow pituitary gland. The receptors are capable of detecting up to seven essential odors: ethereal, musky, floral, minty, spicy, camphorous and putrid. The combination of these allows you to perceive up to 10,000 different fragrances
When the receptor is stimulated, a nerve impulse is sent through the olfactory nerve (first cranial nerve) that carries information to the olfactory bulb. From there, the information goes to the hypothalamus and then to the cerebral cortex, which is where the smell becomes conscious.
If the nasal mucosa, nerves or brain structures involved in smell perception have been damaged, Anosmia can occur in different degrees and with different treatment options in case it is possible to remedy it.
Associated symptoms
The main symptom by which anosmia is identified is the absence of the perception of olfactory stimuli. The way in which this loss of the ability to smell occurs can occur in multiple ways, either suddenly and insidiously or progressively.
The ability to detect odors is not as developed in humans as in other species; However, it has evolutionary purposes and its loss entails disadvantages that affect the daily lives of anosmic people.
Spoiled food, gas leaks and fires are situations that can be identified by smell It is for this reason that not being able to detect them represents a real risk for the person, since they are unknowingly exposed to a potentially deadly threat.
People who have lost the ability to sense smell in an acquired way lose their appetite, since they cannot perceive a stimulus specific to foods that make them attractive, such as their good smell. This can lead to excessive weight loss and malnutrition.
Besides, In cases where this problem occurs in an acquired form, depressive symptoms occur , because olfactory stimuli associated with emotional memories can no longer be felt, which makes the person feel that they have lost part of their ability to remember. In addition, loss of libido may occur due to not detecting sexually arousing odors.
There are multiple causes that may be behind the appearance of anosmia, in addition to affecting different structures involved in the sense of smell. Temporary loss of the ability to smell may be due to infectious and inflammatory problems such as colds, allergic reactions, acute sinusitis, hay fever, flu, polyps, tumors and bone deformities inside the nose.
In cases where this medical condition is serious and permanent, it may be due to having suffered a traumatic brain injury that has damaged brain structures or having inherited this problem. Anosmia is associated with normal aging and also occurs in early stages of dementia.
This can be a symptom in Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s and Niemann-Pick’s diseases, in addition to appearing in multiple system atrophy, schizophrenia, Korsakov syndrome and other serious disorders. It can also be a consequence of some brain problems that may be behind suffering from anosmia: brain surgery, aneurysms, traumatic brain injuries…
Kallman syndrome is the most common cause of congenital anosmia In this case, it could be due to the fact that in the embryogenesis of the olfactory placode there is a lack of olfactory epithelium, which is replaced by respiratory epithelium in the abnormal development of the embryo.
The abuse of nasal sprays can affect the nasal mucosa, both nasal vasoconstriction sprays and those used as a symptomatic remedy for some forms of allergies. Although its occasional use does not pose a risk, abuse should be avoided and, if you suffer from long-lasting nasal inflammation, consult a professional to evaluate other options. Nasal surgery, such as rhinoplasty, can also cause this problem to appear. Exposure to certain chemicals, such as insecticides and solvents In addition to suffering from zinc deficiency, it has been associated with the appearance of anosmia.
When it comes to finding out if a person may be suffering from anosmia, it is necessary to carry out an interview, since, although it may seem surprising, there are anosmic people who do not know that they suffer from this problem, especially if they have it congenitally.
To detect this problem acetylcysteine tests are used The person is also asked if he has suffered any type of injury or if he has abused certain substances that are introduced through the nose. Additionally, she wonders if he has suffered breathing problems, especially in his nose. An examination of the inside of the nasal passages is performed using a rhinoscope
Thus, a neurological evaluation is carried out to see if any nerves have been damaged after an accident. More common than you think are cases of people who have suffered car or other accidents who have begun to suffer the symptoms of unilateral anosmia.
It is common for cases of congenital anosmia not to be properly detected mainly because the person has never smelled in his life and, therefore, does not have the experience of what the sense of smell is.
Treatment
Depending on the cause that caused the anosmia, there will be different treatment. Anosmia due to brain injuries is hardly treatable, but anosmia caused by inflammation of the nasal mucosa is In this second case, glucocorticoids, antihistamines, anti-inflammatories and antibiotics are used.
On the other hand, anosmias caused by nasal obstruction or the appearance of polyps and tumors will require surgical intervention. Certain losses in the ability to smell are due to nutritional deficiencies, such as a lack of zinc, and are corrected by providing the deficient substance.
