Table of contents:
- What causes the nose can't smell normally?
- 1. Decreased ability to detect odors (hyposmia)
- 2. Misidentifying smells (parosmia)
- 3. Smelling a non-existent odor (phantosmia)
- 4. Loss of ability to detect odors (anosmia)
- How to deal with the nose can not smell normally
You certainly can't smell the various scents and smells of objects around you without the help of your nose. However, when your nose is irritated, chances are you won't be able to smell very well. Actually, what is the cause of this condition?
What causes the nose can't smell normally?
Disturbance to your sense of smell, namely your nose, will certainly interfere with your ability to detect smells around you, so you won't be able to smell well.
Usually, this condition occurs due to a problem with the olfactory nerve which is responsible for controlling the fragrance that is inhaled by your nose.
Well, if your olfactory nerves are disturbed, there are 4 types of disorders that can interfere with your sense of smell, namely:
- Hyposmia
- Parosmia
- Phanthosmia
- Anosmia
Pay attention to these four types of disorders so that you know how to deal with the condition you are currently experiencing:
1. Decreased ability to detect odors (hyposmia)
Hyposmia is a smell disorder that causes a decrease in your nose's ability to detect odors. In fact, this can be caused by several factors, including:
- Allergy
- Injury to the head
- Respiratory tract infection
- Nasal polyps
- Crooked nasal septum
- Chronic sinusitis
- Use of drugs, such as ampicillin, loratadine, or amitriptyline
In addition to the factors listed above, it turns out that your lifestyle habits can also trigger hyposmia to occur, you know. For example, smoking and drug use can also cause your nose to not smell properly.
If you have a smell disorder, such as hyposmia, you also need to be vigilant. Who knows, this disease is a sign that you have obesity, Parkinson's, or high blood pressure.
Generally, Parkinson's sufferers experience symptoms in the form of decreased nasal function to smell something.
Therefore, if you feel your sense of smell is not as sharp as usual, consult a doctor.
2. Misidentifying smells (parosmia)
Not only is your nose's olfactory ability decreased, apparently not being able to smell properly or mistaking odors is also a sign that there is a problem with your smell. This condition is known as parosmia.
Parosmia is a condition when a person can detect smells, but mistakenly recognize them. For example, a fragrance that is actually not smelly enough can be interpreted as an unpleasant odor.
The response of parosmic sufferers usually indicates that some of the smells they are breathing are unpleasant.
This olfactory disturbance is usually caused by several things, such as:
- Damage to olfactory neurons
- Injury to the head
- Flu
- Being exposed to poison
- Disorders of the nervous system and sinuses
3. Smelling a non-existent odor (phantosmia)
As the name implies, phantosmia means hallucinations of odors that don't actually exist. For example, you suddenly smell garlic when in fact there is no such fragrance.
The cause of this one smell disorder is almost the same as parosmia. Starting from injuries to the head, flu, damage to the nervous system, to the sinuses.
However, the two are very different. Parosmia mistakenly smells what is present, whereas phantosmia smells something that is not there.
4. Loss of ability to detect odors (anosmia)
Now, if the three disorders above can still smell something, anosmia is different.
In anosmia, the patient's nose cannot smell anything at all. Usually, this is due to an injury to the brain, a nose condition, or being born that way.
Now, if you lose your sense of smell when you have a cold or flu, usually it only lasts temporarily. However, it would be nice if you consult a doctor to prevent the various complications of anosmia that can arise.
How to deal with the nose can not smell normally
In fact, there is no specific treatment for this type of nasal condition or disorder. Sometimes, the disturbance of the sense of smell is temporary and will heal over time.
The researchers found that taking adequate doses of vitamin A and iron did help. However, this cannot be said to be a powerful enough drug to treat problems with your nose.
If this condition bothers you a lot, you can ask your doctor what treatments can be done. For example, surgery to remove polyps or nose septum surgery. Or use steroids and antihistamines.
Now, if the nose can't smell normally, try to consult a nutritionist. It aims to keep you getting adequate nutritional intake according to your condition.
Disturbance to your sense of smell can indeed have an adverse effect on your health and environment. From misidentifying smells to losing your ability to smell, they all have an impact on aspects of your daily life.
Therefore, if you experience the problems above, consult a doctor immediately for further treatment.
