In everyday life, a person is regularly at risk of contracting ailments that cause discomfort and a lot of inconvenience. Among them, of course, is the loss of smell. It would seem that this is not the most global health problem. However, people who have experienced it on themselves have a completely opposite point of view on this subject.
Of course, many people who have lost their sense of smell begin to panic. This behavior is easy to explain: who likes not to smell the aromas of flowering plants, smells coming from the kitchen during dinner preparation, or to feel that the food has no taste at all.
Like it or not, but when the sense of smell disappears, life becomes darker. Let's try to understand why a person is exposed to such a risk and how he can be helped in solving the problem.
Kinds
There are two pathological conditions in which a person's sense of smell disappears.
In the first case (hyposmia), we are talking about a partial loss of smell, caused by colds, inflammatory processes that develop on the mucous membrane, polyps and other health disorders.
The second variation in loss of smell (anosmia) occurs when a person completely loses the ability to smell. The causes of this pathology can be congenital diseases and traumatic brain injuries. Methods of treating nasal receptor sensitivity loss in a given situation are individual in nature and you can’t do without qualified medical help. That is why, if your sense of smell disappears, do not self-medicate, but go to an appointment with a specialist.
Causes
There are a huge number of factors due to which a person loses the ability to smell.
Consider the most common of them.
Cold
Of course, as soon as our sense of smell and taste are gone , this is a clear sign that we have caught colds. At this point, inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx are activated, the cause of which is a common cold. Against this background, there is a blockage of the nasal passages and swelling of the mucous membrane. All this leads to the fact that olfactory receptors cease to fulfill their function. In acute respiratory viral infections, the situation is complicated by the fact that some parts of the “sensitive” epithelium are destroyed. If you have lost your sense of smell after the flu, immediately consult a doctor who can prescribe the right treatment for you.
Dry air
In some cases, a person ceases to smell due to low humidity.
This leads to the fact that there is an expansion of the blood vessels of the nasal sinuses and rhinitis develops. In parallel, the nasal passages are narrowed, the movement of air is hampered.
Smoking
Want to know why your sense of smell disappears? It's all a bad habit of smoking. When a person inhales tobacco smoke, a huge amount of irritating substances enters the nasal cavity. Naturally, the body does its best to minimize the sensitivity of the receptors. As a result, a person loses the ability to feel not only the smell of smoke, but also other aromas. Smokers should also remember that the “poisoning” effect of nicotine can trigger neuritis of the olfactory nerve.
Insulin deficiency in the blood
If a person suffers from type 1 diabetes, then the fats in his body break down very quickly. All this contributes to the concentration of volatile compounds that are released through the lungs.
The diabetic begins to feel that acetone is present in the carbon dioxide exhaled by him. The situation is complicated by the fact that volatile compounds, irritating the sensitive receptors of the nasal passages, cause them a certain dependence, as a result of which the person's ability to smell is reduced.
If we are talking about type 2 diabetes, then there is a violation of blood flow in the olfactory receptor area, as a result, this can lead to their death.
Nervous system disorders
Head injuries and infectious diseases affecting the nervous system can also cause a person to lose their ability to smell.
A brain tumor
Loss of smell can indicate that a person may develop brain cancer. The tumor may affect the areas responsible for the sense of smell. In order to timely identify the disease, it is necessary to do an MRI procedure.
Allergic rhinitis, and deviations of the septum of the respiratory organ, and problems with the secretion of the nasal mucosa can be other causes of nasal receptor loss of sensitivity.
Treatment methods
As already emphasized, ways to restore the ability to smell are individual, their use depends on the specifics of the cause that caused the pathology.
In particular, if a person has lost his sense of smell after a cold, then he is “prescribed” a course of local and general antiviral therapy, in combination with anti-inflammatory anti-allergenic drugs.
Of course, in most cases, when it becomes necessary to solve the above problem, everyone rushes to the pharmacy to get vasoconstrictor drops. If the sense of smell is gone with a runny nose, then drugs such as "Naphthyzine" or "Naphazoline" will help. They reduce the pressure on the receptors, narrow blood vessels and increase the lumen of the nasal cavity. However, they must be used strictly according to the instructions.
If the sense of smell is lost due to allergic rhinitis, then antihistamines will help to rectify the situation, and in complicated forms - drugs that contain corticosteroid hormones.
If the sensitivity of the receptors is lost due to the curvature of the nasal septum, then surgical methods cannot be dispensed with.
When receptor sensitivity is associated with oncological processes in the brain, chemotherapy is used in combination with surgery.
Alternative Treatment Options
You can restore the sense of smell through the methods of traditional medicine. Essential oils and inhalations based on plant components are considered particularly effective. In particular, basil essential oil should be used . It is enough to drip a few drops on a napkin, which then needs to be put on a pillow next to the patient.
You can prepare a decoction of the following ingredients: lemon juice (10 drops), lavender essential oil (3-4 drops), boiling water (200 ml). You should inhale the vapors of this mixture of each nostril for 5 minutes. The procedure should be done for 10 days with a frequency of once a day.