Smell sense, loss of
What are the causes?
There are several medical conditions and medications associated with a loss of smell. The possible causes include:
- a viral infection affecting the upper respiratory tract , such as a cold
- persistent (chronic) sinusitis , with or without nasal polyps
- a nose abnormality , such as a crooked nose or a nasal septum (wall dividing the nostrils) that isn't straight
- hay fever (rhinitis) that causes severe inflammation of the nasal passages
- certain medication , including antibiotics such as metronidazole
- recreational drug use such as cocaine or amphetamines
- diabetes
- long-term alcohol misuse
- an underactive thyroid
- Cushing's syndrome (high levels of the hormone cortisol in the blood)
- exposure to a chemical that burns the inside of the nose
- a head injury
- a brain tumour
- radiotherapy to the head and neck
- epilepsy
- Parkinson's disease
- Alzheimer's disease
- stroke
- liver or kidney disease
- vitamin B12 deficiency
- schizophrenia
- granulomatosis with polyangiitis an uncommon disorder of the blood vessels
- sarcoidosis a rare disease that causes body cells to form into clumps
In general, anosmia is usually caused by either a problem with odours getting to the top of the nose (because of swelling or a blockage in the nose) or a problem with nerve signals from the nose to the brain.
However, in around 20% of cases, the cause can't be found. This is known as idiopathic anosmia.
Congenital anosmia
An estimated 6,000 people in the UK are born without a sense of smell because of a genetic condition or faulty gene. This is known as congenital anosmia.
It can occur alone (isolated congenital anosmia) or it can be a symptom of another genetic condition, such as Kallmann syndrome or Klinefelter syndrome .
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Anosmia is the medical term for loss of the sense of smell. It's usually caused by a nasal condition or brain injury, but some people are born without a sense of smell (congenital anosmia)
Seeing your GP
Your GP will want to take your full medical history, examine the inside of your nose and take a blood sample for testing in a laboratory. Your doctor may refer you to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) sp
What are the causes?
There are several medical conditions and medications associated with a loss of smell. The possible causes include: a viral infection affecting the upper respiratory tract , such as a cold persis
Can anosmia be cured?
Whether or not anosmia can be cured depends on the underlying cause. People with congenital anosmia have a lifelong inability to smell and have no concept of what a smell even is. Currently, there's
Safety
If you have anosmia, you'll need to take special precautions because you won't be able to smell fires, poisonous fumes, leaking gas or food that has gone off. It's recommended that you: install sm
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