Anosmia, (Loss of Smell) A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

by Kenneth Kee

Overview

Anosmia is the inability to perceive smell (medically termed olfaction).
When the loss of smell is not complete, the disorder is called hyposmia.
Some people are anosmic for one specific odor; this is called “specific anosmia”.
Specific anosmia is normally genetically based.
Most patients with anosmia complain of losing the sense of taste (ageusia) and of not enjoying food.
They can sense salty, sweet, sour, and bitter substances but flavor bias which is a function of smell is not possible.
Smell is sensed by a special lining in the posterior portion of the nose called the olfactory epithelium.
Signals are carried from this lining via nerves to the brain.
Any factors that block the smell from reaching this lining or induce injury may cause anosmia.
Injury to nerves that bring the signals or the part of the brain that senses smell can lead to anosmia.
Anosmia may be part of normal aging.
The most frequent causes of anosmia are respiratory infections, sinusitis, and head trauma.
Anosmia or losing the ability to smell is quite a frequent problem which a patient has at one point or the other.
Anosmia can be incomplete or complete but it is very infrequent that someone has total loss of the capability to smell.
Occasionally Anosmia or loss of smell can also be congenital with a patient having inability to smell things right from birth.
Anosmia or loss of smell can be transient or permanent dependent on the cause of it.
Anosmia or loss of smell does not really suggest a serious medical condition but if permanent has an impaired sense of smell then it does not allow him or her to enjoy the things which normal people are fond of the smell of a good food, smell of fresh flowers and the like.
This may make the person with permanent anosmia depressed.
The patient may soon lose interest in eating foods as he or she is not able to enjoy food that normal people do due to Anosmia or loss of smell which may then result in unintentional weight loss.
Causes:
Common Colds
Irritation of innermost lining of the Nose
Nasal Passage Obstruction
Brain or Nerve Damage
Aging
Permanent Causes:
Congenital
Nerve Damage
Transient Causes:
Viral or bacterial nose infection
Nasal allergies
Symptoms:
A patient with anosmia has:
1. Loss of Smell
2. Loss of Taste
3. Loss of appetite
4. Loss of weight
Diagnosis:

The diagnosis of anosmia can be done by taking a detailed history, examining the patient and carrying out some tests.
1. Tests like CT scan and MRI
2. Nasal endoscopy
3. Olfactory nerve testing
4. X-rays of the skull
The treatment of anosmia or loss of smell depends on the underlying cause of the disorder.
People who are born with anosmia or without sense of smell cannot be cured as this disorder is mostly permanent in these people.
Some of the treatment methods that are used for managing anosmia are nasal wash, use of a nasal spray, antihistamines, and steroids
Steroids are helpful for treating rhinitis or sinusitis which when treated can improve Anosmia or help get back the loss of smell.
There are no treatments for anosmia itself even though the specific causes may be treated.
The treatment of the cause of the problem may correct loss of the sense of smell:
1. Antihistamines (if the disorder is linked to allergy)
2. Changes in medicine
3. Surgery to correct blockages
Nasal polyps - removal of polyps
Sinus blockage - endoscopic sinus surgery
Treatment of other disorders such as nasal congestion:
1. Nasal decongestants
2. If the patient permanently loses the sense of smell, the patient can change the diet to have highly seasoned foods that stimulate the taste sensations that the patient still have.
3. For loss of smell due to aging, there is no treatment.

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Anosmia
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapter 7 Allergic Rhinitis
Chapter 8 Rhinosinusitis
Epilogue

Product Details

BN ID:	2940154557815
Publisher:	Kenneth Kee
Publication date:	09/19/2017
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	224 KB

About the Author

Medical doctor since 1972. Started Kee Clinic in 1974 at 15 Holland Dr #03-102, relocated to 36 Holland Dr #01-10 in 2009. Did my M.Sc (Health Management ) in 1991 and Ph.D (Healthcare Administration) in 1993. Dr Kenneth Kee is still working as a family doctor at the age of 65. However he has reduced his consultation hours to 3 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. He first started writing free blogs on medical conditions seen in the clinic in 2007 on http://kennethkee.blogspot.com. His purpose in writing these simple guides was for the health education of his patients which is also his dissertation for his Ph.D (Healthcare Administration). He then wrote an autobiolographical account of his journey as a medical student to family doctor on his other blog afamilydoctorstale.blogspot.com. This autobiolographical account “A Family Doctor’s Tale” was combined with his early “A Simple Guide to Medical Conditions” into a new Wordpress Blog “A Family Doctor’s Tale” on http://ken-med.com. From which many free articles from the blog was taken and put together into 550 amazon kindle books and some into Smashwords.com eBooks. He apologized for typos and spelling mistakes in his earlier books. He will endeavor to improve the writing in futures. Some people have complained that the simple guides are too simple. For their information they are made simple in order to educate the patients. The later books go into more details of medical conditions. The first chapter of all my ebooks is always taken from my blog A Simple Guide to Medical Conditions which was started in 2007 as a simple educational help to my patients on my first blog http://kennethkee.blogspot.com. The medical condition was described simply and direct to the point. Because the simple guide as taken from the blog was described as too simple, I have increased the other chapters to include more detailed description of the illness, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. As a result there are the complaints by some readers of constant repetitions of the same contents but in detail and fairly up to date. He has published 550 eBooks on various subjects on health, 1 autobiography of his medical journey, another on the autobiography of a Cancer survivor, 2 children stories and one how to study for his nephew and grand-daughter. The purpose of these simple guides is to educate patient on health conditions and not meant as textbooks. He does not do any night duty since 2000 ever since Dr Tan had his second stroke. His clinic is now relocated to the Bouna Vista Community Centre. The 2 units of his original clinic are being demolished to make way for a new Shopping Mall. He is now doing some blogging and internet surfing (bulletin boards since the 1980's) starting with the Apple computer and going to PC. All the PC is upgraded by himself from XT to the present Pentium duo core. The present Intel i7 CPU is out of reach at the moment because the CPU is still expensive. He is also into DIY changing his own toilet cistern and other electric appliance. His hunger for knowledge has not abated and he is a lifelong learner. The children have all grown up and there are 2 grandchildren who are even more technically advanced than the grandfather where mobile phones are concerned. This book is taken from some of the many articles in his blog (now with 740 posts) A Family Doctor’s Tale. Dr Kee is the author of: "A Family Doctor's Tale" "Life Lessons Learned From The Study And Practice Of Medicine" "Case Notes From A Family Doctor"