If you are experiencing a smell disorder, you’ve either lost your ability to smell or the way you perceive odors has changed. Like all of your senses, the sense of smell plays an important part for living. It serves as a primary warning signal for fire, gas leaks or dangerous fumes.
The sense of smell is part of our chemical sensing system and sensory cells in our nose, mouth and throat have a role in helping us interpret smells, as well as taste flavors. That’s right, flavors are mainly recognized by your brain through your sense of smell. Without your sense of smell flavors like coffee or oranges would be difficult to distinguish.
A lost or changed sense of smell sometimes is a signal for more serious health problems. However, most people who develop a smell disorder have recently experienced an illness or an injury.
Common causes of loss of taste and sense of smell are upper respiratory infections and head injuries. Other causes are:
- sinus infections
- dental problems
- some medicines
- vitamin B12 deficiency
- hormonal disturbances
- polyps in the nasal cavities
- exposure to certain chemicals
- radiation treatments to head/neck area
So if you cannot smell that smell and you do not have nasal congestion, see you health care professional for further evaluation for the cause of your lose.
