Anosmia Causes:

By DAD Ayurveda Clinic Staff

A stuffy nose from a cold is a common cause of a partial, temporary loss of smell (Anosmia). Blockage in the nasal passages due to a polyp or nasal fracture is also a common cause. Normal aging can also cause loss of smell, especially after the age of 50.

What is the smell?

There are special cells in your nose and upper throat area that contain odor receptors. When these receptors detect an odor, they send a message to the brain. The brain then identifies that specific odor.

Any problem with this process — a stuffy nose, a blockage, swelling, nerve damage, or a state of brain function — can affect your ability to smell normally.

The Problems inner lining of the nose

Conditions for blockages that block the flow of air through the nose can include:

• Acute sinusitis (nasal and sinus infection)
• Chronic sinusitis
• Common cold
• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• Hay fever (allergic rhinitis)
• Influenza (flu)
• Non-allergic sinusitis (chronic congestion or sneezing not related to allergies)
• Smoking

Obstructions of your nasal passages

Blockages that block the flow of air through the nose can include:

• Deviated septum
• Nasal polyps
• Tumors

Damage to your brain or nerves

Nerves leading to the area of the brain that detects odors or the brain itself can be damaged or deteriorated for the following reasons:

• Aging
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Brain aneurysm
• Brain surgery
• Brain tumor
• Diabetes
• Exposure to chemicals in pesticides or solvents
• Huntington’s disease
• Kallmann’s syndrome (a rare genetic condition)
• Klinefelter syndrome (a genetic condition affecting males)
• Korsakoff syndrome, or Korsakoff psychosis, develops into Wernicke encephalopathy as symptoms go away.
• Lewy body dementia
• Medicines (for example, some high blood pressure, nosebleeds )
• Medications,( antibiotics, and antihistamines)
• Multiple sclerosis
• Niemann-Pick is a rare, inherited disease that affects the body’s ability to metabolize fats (cholesterol and lipids) within cells.
• Paget’s disease (Bone interferes with your body’s normal recycling process, in which new bone tissue slowly replaces old bone tissue.)
• Parkinson’s disease
• Poor nutrition
• Radiation therapy
• Rhinoplasty
• Schizophrenia
• Sjogren’s syndrome (an inflammatory disease that commonly causes dry mouth and eyes)
• Traumatic brain injury
• Zinc-containing nasal sprays
• Zinc deficiency

The causes shown here are commonly associated with this symptom. work with your doctor or other health care professional for any accurate diagnosis.

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