What to do if your sense of smell and taste is lost. Causes and treatment

The sense of smell is the ability to distinguish odors from each other. Unlike men, women have a more acute sense of smell. It is especially aggravated during a hormonal surge in the body, for example, during pregnancy or ovulation. Impaired sense of smell occurs due to inflammatory processes in the nose and injuries to the mucous membrane. This pathology can be caused by vitamin deficiency, head injuries and intoxication of the body. Allergies and genetic mutations are common causes of loss of smell.

What caused the deviation?

The reasons why loss of smell occurs can be different. A person may experience swelling of the mucous membrane covering the nasal septum. This occurs due to damage to the body by an acute respiratory viral infection. Other factors:

• sinusitis;
• bacterial rhinitis;
• allergic rhinitis;
• deviated nasal septum;
• nasal polyps.

Anosmia is sometimes caused by negative changes in the mucous membrane when the olfactory cilia are immersed in the secretion.

Disorders appear when the neuroepithelium responsible for the sense of smell is destroyed. This occurs due to the progression of acute viral infections. Other factors involve inhalation of chemicals that have toxic effects.

In the absence of smell in some patients, the disease can be triggered by a cranial injury, in which there is a fracture of the very base of the cranial fossa (in front). The causes include tumors of various natures, neurosurgical procedures, the use of neurotoxic drugs, and congenital diseases, for example, Kallmann syndrome.

The disorder is often provoked by damage to the receptors that are located in the organs responsible for smell and in the conduction tracts. This change is a complication of many diseases. The problem is associated with poisoning by toxic substances. These include: nicotine, morphine, atropine.

Deviation can take on a persistent form. It is called hyposmia. This transformation is caused by nasal polyps, tumors of a malignant or benign nature, and a deviated nasal septum.

During the diagnosis, it is possible to identify the factors that provoke the problem:

1. The olfactory pathways are not sufficiently developed.
2. Due to bruises, blows, due to a fall on the occipital region of the head, resulting in destruction of the bulbs and olfactory tracts.
3. Inflammatory processes affecting the sinuses of the ethmoid bone.
4. Inflammation associated with the soft adjacent brain surface and surrounding areas.
5. Median tumors, other formations of a three-dimensional form.
6. Smoking.
7. Negative transformations associated with the aging process of the body.
8. Exposure to toxins (meth acrylate, cadmium, acrylate).
9. Parkinson's disease.
10. Dementia with Lewy bodies.
11. Alzheimer's disease.

Loss of smell causes and role in life:

They guide us on an unconscious level. All odors change the operation of any of the systems. For example, we produce saliva in response to the smell of food.

• Unpleasant odors increase blood pressure and heart rate (ammonia odors).
• Pleasant ones lower blood pressure, the heart rate slows down, and the person calms down.
• All odors affect the human nervous system, brain function, and breathing rate.
• Affects the functioning of the brain, which is responsible for hunger.
• Has an impact on aggressive behavior and sexual emotions.
• In a person’s life, particularly memorable events are necessarily associated with smells that are etched in the memory forever. If he encounters them again in life, he experiences strong emotions. The sense of smell is also called the sense of memory.
• For some it is the smell of the sea, for others the aroma of hay.
• Very often, the sense of smell saves our lives, for example, when there is a gas leak, the smell of smoke, or spoiled food.
• Others earn their living from their sense of smell (cooks, perfumers, winemakers, tasters).

Anosmia happens:

• Temporal.
• Constant in time.
• Irreversible for various reasons.

Decreased sense of smell occurs:

• One-sided.
• Double-sided.

May apply to all odors or only some of them.

A simple solution to the problem

If you need to return your normal sense of smell after a runny nose, just turn to traditional medicine recipes that have been tested and give positive results. At home, they do a special exercise that involves alternating relaxation and tension of the nasal wings.

When performing such manipulation, you must strictly adhere to the established methodology. The time of tension should not exceed the period of relaxation. The manipulation is performed throughout the day, several times is enough. The exercise is done every day until improvement is noticeable and normal condition is restored.

Parallel treatment of colds, loss of smell due to a runny nose and restoration of the sense of smell can be carried out through rinsing.

Salt water is used to flush out mucus and infection from the sinuses.

To prepare the solution, you need to dilute 1 tsp in 200 ml of boiled water. sea ​​salt. You can use table salt. During the manipulation, you need to close one of the nostrils with your finger, and slowly draw in salt water with the other. The procedure is performed carefully, without haste. This therapy is ideal for pediatric patients; it effectively copes with the lack of smell. Add a few drops of iodine to 200 ml of solution.

You can restore your normal sense of smell through the use of essential oil. It is necessary to pour water into an enamel container (you will need 200 ml), then boil it. Add 3 tbsp to the resulting liquid. freshly squeezed lemon juice and 5 drops of essential oil. For these purposes, use lemon balm, mint or lavender oil. The resulting medicinal composition is ready for inhalation.

You need to lower your head over the container and inhale the steam through your nose. A positive result can be achieved by performing the procedure for 2-3 days. This way, the patient not only gets rid of the problem that has arisen, but also treats rhinitis. Inhalations should not be stopped as soon as the condition improves. Be sure to carry out an additional 1-2 manipulations to consolidate the effect obtained.

If you have no sense of smell, you should use aroma lamps. They need to be combined with various essential oils. Suitable oils include lavender, orange, mint, rosemary, lemon balm, and tangerine. The oils that evaporate can be easily inhaled, so the effect occurs at a rapid pace.

Before starting therapeutic treatment, you should consult a doctor. Some essential oils can cause allergies in people.

Loss of smell causes and prevention:

1. To prevent loss of smell, you need to treat your colds and runny nose in a timely manner.
2. Rinse your nose constantly with warm salted water or herbal infusions (chamomile, sage, peppermint, calendula). They will help relieve inflammation in the nose and provide antiseptic treatment for the sinuses.
3. Forget about smoking, nicotine damages the tissues responsible for taste and smell.
4. Get rid of allergens, this will help avoid swelling of the nasal mucosa, which means a runny nose.
5. Constantly work on strengthening your immune system. Follow the rules of nutrition: every person can eat more fruits, greens, and vegetables. A strong, healthy immune system means no infections, which means a healthy sense of smell.
6. When working with chemicals and pesticides, protect your body. Wear respirators or any protective masks. Spend less time contacting them.
7. Avoid any head injuries (belt up in a car, wear a helmet on a bicycle, motorcycle, moped).

Effective remedies

You can perfectly restore your sense of smell and get rid of progressive rhinitis with the juice of freshly squeezed lemon or cyclamen. It is allowed to use the product in several ways. The juice should be instilled with a pipette 4 times during the day. Another option is to suck in the juice through your nostrils. It is necessary to be treated every day without skipping. The therapeutic course is 2-3 days.

For colds, menthol oil is highly effective. It is instilled into each of the nasal passages. It is possible to significantly increase the level of performance and accelerate the onset of positive changes by lubricating the outside of the nose.

In practice, the high benefits of treating rhinitis with propolis have been proven. It is easy to make an ointment from it at home to lubricate the nasal passages. To do this you will need:

• propolis (1 tsp);
• butter (3 tsp);
• olive oil (3 tsp).

These ingredients are placed in a convenient container and thoroughly mixed in a water bath until a uniform consistency of the composition is achieved. It is acceptable to use cotton swabs for restorative purposes. They are dipped in ointment and placed in the nasal cavity. The procedure takes 15-20 minutes. This treatment should be carried out 2 times a day.

If the sense of smell is lost, the patient can get it back without extra costs. You will need sugar beet juice and natural honey. Freshly squeezed beet juice is diluted with a small amount of liquid honey, the components are thoroughly mixed.

The composition is used for instillation into the nasal cavity. You need to be treated until there is a significant improvement in the condition. To achieve the effect as quickly as possible, the number of procedures is increased to 5. If necessary, you can use cotton pads or small pieces of cotton wool, which together with the product are placed in the nostrils for 10-15 minutes.

After a runny nose, fresh celandine is often used for restorative purposes, from which the juice is squeezed. It should be instilled into both nostrils, a few drops at a time. The time interval between procedures can be 2 hours.

Garlic juice will help get rid of anosmia. It has a positive effect when there is a loss of smell due to a runny nose. The juice must be diluted in water. To do this, take 10 servings of water for 1 serving of juice. Cotton swabs are impregnated with the composition. They are inserted into each nasal passage for 15 minutes. The number of procedures is 2-3 per day. The bactericidal effect of garlic allows you to smell again and overcome rhinitis.

Treatment

In this case, treatment can be carried out using both conservative and radical methods. If there is a tumor in the brain area, surgical removal is performed, followed by restorative therapy.

Drug treatment may include the following drugs:

• antiseptics;
• antiallergic;
• antibiotics;
• steroids;
• zinc preparations;
• vitamin and mineral complex.

In addition, the patient may be recommended physiotherapeutic procedures, inhalations, courses of manual therapy and massage. If the treatment included brain surgery, then rehabilitation may require a therapeutic course in a specialized sanatorium.

In cases of congenital pathology, it is rarely possible to restore a lost sense of smell.

Options for different methods

A person can check on his own whether there has been a decrease in sense of smell. To do this, you need to inhale the aroma of any soap. If there are no problems, then the person feels it well. If there is no smell, it means that you cannot feel it. The development of hypoxia is indicated by the inability to perceive the vinegar smell of varying degrees of strength.

If any suspicions arise, you need to consult a doctor who can provide the necessary assistance in a timely manner, preventing the condition from worsening. Correct diagnosis of the causes of negative changes is important for patients at any age. The technique and features of therapy will depend on this.

In some cases, you can cope with the deviation using folk remedies. A good recipe is a mixture of thoroughly washed river sand and table salt. The ingredients are taken in equal quantities. The resulting mass is placed in a frying pan, then the container is placed on the stove.

First, the mixture is dried, then its temperature is brought to 50°C. After this, you need to pour the composition into a specially prepared fabric bag, which you then tie. The filled bag is applied to the bridge of the nose (20 minutes). The therapeutic course consists of 9 procedures. They can be carried out every day or with a break of 1 day.

We restore normal breathing and perception of smells and tastes in the following way: smear a coin (you can take 5 kopecks) with natural liquid honey and apply it to the middle of the bridge of the nose. To prevent the coin from falling or moving, it is fixed with an adhesive plaster.

It is best to use an old copper coin. The procedure must be performed daily and lasts half an hour. In most cases, full recovery will require at least 15 procedures.

You can restore your health thanks to a small aluminum plate. It needs to be rinsed thoroughly, then wiped dry and glued to the bridge of the nose with a bandage. It is better to perform this manipulation before bedtime in order to leave the plate on all night. It is possible to overcome the problem and achieve restoration of olfactory function after performing 3 procedures.

After the flu, you can use the following mixture:

• water - 200 ml;
• lemon juice - 10 drops;
• cologne - 10 drops.

The water must be preheated to a temperature of 50°C. After this, juice is added to it and mixed thoroughly. Soak a piece of gauze or cotton fabric with the resulting composition. It is applied to the entire nasal surface. The procedure takes approximately 6 minutes. The duration of the treatment course is 10 procedures, which are performed every day without skipping.

How to deal with phantosmia

Some patients find that putting saline drops into their nose can provide relief. Doctors treat such statements condescendingly, although they remind that scientific data on the issue is currently insufficient. They also say that if phantosmia is a symptom, then a drug that can correct the underlying problem will most likely help.

In extreme situations, and only after a thorough medical examination, the patient may be asked to surgically remove the olfactory bulb, a part of the olfactory brain located on the lower surface of the frontal lobe. However, experts warn that this is a very risky operation, which, moreover, will lead to a complete loss of the olfactory ability of one nostril, so it is rarely decided upon.

A disturbance of perception, when a person hears, sees or feels something that is not in reality, is called a hallucination. There are several types of this disorder according to different types of sensitivity. Olfactory hallucinations deserve special attention. A person does not always go to the doctor with such an atypical complaint as the feeling of foreign odors. But this symptom can hide quite serious diseases, so delaying a visit to the doctor is dangerous.

Other easy recipes

After the flu, when carrying out self-treatment, patients can use Vietnamese balm “Golden Star”. The closed container with the product should be left in direct sunlight for 2-3 hours. This way, the composition is heated. After this, it should be rubbed into the back of the nose and into the middle part of the forehead. To achieve the desired effect, it is enough to perform 7-10 procedures daily.

When hypoxia appears, it is necessary to warm it up with a blue lamp. If such a device is not available at home, you can use a regular tabletop electrical appliance, the main thing is that the light bulb power is 40 W. The patient should wear sunglasses. Remove the lampshade from the lamp. The head should be tilted back. This will allow light to enter the nasal cavity. The optimal distance from the nose to the lamp is 25 cm.

If a person cannot smell, quartz will help. A small piece of quartz should be placed in a glass vessel, for example a jar, and left in a sunny place for 3 hours so that the stone warms up well. The stone should be placed on the nose. The treatment session should last for 20 minutes. We must ensure that the stone does not move. To do this, it is additionally secured or fixed, held with fingers.

Which doctor should I contact?

If you suddenly begin to smell a smell from a distance or it seems to you that you feel an aroma that is not actually there, then you should immediately visit the clinic for a comprehensive diagnosis of the whole body. Otherwise, you risk finding out about an unpleasant illness when it is too late. Any self-medication options in this case are highly not recommended.

In most cases, people turn to a therapist or otolaryngologist for help. Diseases of the ENT organs in this case are considered the most common option, but one should not exclude the fact that a specialist may send you to another doctor if he does not find a problem in his area. For diagnosis, modern equipment or a classic examination of the respiratory system and oral cavity are used.

If we are talking about any psychological disorders, then diagnosis can become several times more complicated, especially if the patient experiences phantom odors. In addition to the medical history, the main tool for identifying psychological diseases is special equipment for diagnosing the nervous system.

Important aspects of therapy

Not in all cases it is possible to cope with the disease without qualified help from specialists. This may apply to older people or situations associated with serious pathological processes. In a medical institution, loss of smell and taste caused by diseases of the mucous surface is treated through special measures. Among them are the following:

1. Elimination of factors of exogenous and endogenous origin, which not only cause, but also support pathology.
2. The use of a complex of specially selected medications in each individual case, which relieve rhinitis.
3. Carrying out physical procedures.
4. Carrying out physiotherapy.
5. Surgical intervention in the body if there are indications or extreme necessity.

The most important thing is that therapy for ENT diseases is carried out painlessly. It is possible to achieve positive results due to the correct influence on the totality of all links of pathogenesis. Thanks to this effect, patients begin to feel positive changes in the process of nasal breathing, and olfactory function is gradually restored.

If you wash and irrigate the mucous membrane of the nasal sinuses using specially selected medications, optimal cleansing of the nasal passages occurs. All pus, toxic substances, and causative agents of allergic reactions are removed from the mucous membranes of the nose and sinuses. It is possible to completely restore drainage properties.

Be sure to combine the entire set of necessary sanitizing procedures with a course of immunomodulatory therapy. It is selected individually for each person. Normalizing the functioning of the immune system allows you to achieve complete recovery in a short time. At the same time, the treatment process is simplified, since the body itself can fight the pathogen.

If complex and timely therapy is carried out, it will be possible not only to restore function, but also to ensure stable, long-term remission.

Diagnostics

The diagnostic program will depend on the current clinical picture. The initial examination can take place with the participation of the following highly qualified doctors:

• neurologist;
• neurosurgeon;
• otolaryngologist.

First of all, a physical examination of the patient is carried out, with the collection of personal and family history and the current clinical picture.

CT scan of the brain

To determine the nature of this clinical manifestation, the following laboratory and instrumental examination methods can be used:

• clinical and biochemical blood test;
• general urine analysis;
• CT, MRI of the brain;
• olfactometry;
• tumor marker test;
• biopsy of the tumor for histological examination.

Based on the results of the study, the doctor can establish an accurate diagnosis and determine further therapeutic measures to eliminate the underlying disease.