In everyday life, a person is regularly exposed to the risk of getting sick with 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 he alth problem. However, people who have experienced it themselves have a completely opposite point of view on this matter.
Of course, many people who lose their sense of smell start to panic. This behavior is easy to explain: who likes not to smell the aromas of flowering plants, the smells coming from the kitchen while preparing dinner, or the feeling that the food has no taste at all.
Whatever one may say, but when the sense of smell disappears, life becomes darker. Let's try to figure out why a person is at such a risk and how he can be helped in solving the problem.
Views
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 he alth disorders.
The second variation of 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 for treating loss of sensitivity of nasal receptors in a given situation are individual in nature and one cannot do without qualified medical assistance. That is why, if you lose your sense of smell, do not self-medicate, but go to an appointment with a specialist.
Reasons
There are a huge number of factors due to which a person loses the ability to smell.
Let's consider the most common ones.
Cold
Of course, once we have lost our sense of smell and taste, it is a clear sign that we have caught colds. At this moment, inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx are activated, the cause of which is the usual runny nose. Against this background, blockage of the nasal passages and swelling of the mucous membrane occurs. All this leads to the fact that the olfactory receptors cease to perform their function. With ARVI, the situation is complicated by the fact that some areas of the “sensitive” epithelium are destroyed. If you have lost your sense of smell after the flu, see a doctor right away who can prescribe the right treatment for you.
Dry air
In some cases, a person stops smelling due to low humidity.
This leads tothat there is an expansion of the blood vessels of the nasal sinuses and rhinitis develops. In parallel with this, the nasal passages are narrowing, the movement of air is difficult.
Smoking
Do you want to know why the sense of smell disappears? It's all about the bad habit of smoking. When a person inhales tobacco smoke, a huge amount of irritating substances enter the nasal cavity. Naturally, the body tries its best to minimize the sensitivity of the receptors. As a result, a person loses the ability to smell not only the smell of smoke, but also other aromas. Smokers should also be aware that the "toxic" effect of nicotine can provoke olfactory neuritis.
Lack of insulin 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 excreted through the lungs.
A diabetic begins to feel that acetone is present in the carbon dioxide he exhales. 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 a person's ability to smell smells decreases.
If we are talking about type 2 diabetes, then there is a violation of blood flow in the area of olfactory receptors, as a result, this can lead to their death.
Disorders of the nervous system
Head injuries and infectious diseases that affect the nervous system can also cause a person to lose the ability tosmell.
Brain tumor
Loss of smell may indicate that a person may develop brain cancer. The tumor can affect the areas responsible for smell. In order to detect the disease in a timely manner, it is necessary to do an MRI procedure.
Among other reasons for the loss of sensitivity of nasal receptors can be allergic rhinitis, and curvature of the septum of the respiratory organ, and problems with the secretion of the nasal mucosa.
Treatment methods
As already emphasized, the ways to restore the ability to smell are individual in nature, 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-allergic drugs.
Of course, in most cases, when it becomes necessary to solve the above problem, everyone rushes to the pharmacy to buy vasoconstrictor drops. If the sense of smell is lost with a runny nose, then drugs such as Naphthyzin or Nafazolin will help. They reduce the level of pressure on the receptors, narrow the 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 correct the situation, and in complicated forms - drugs that containcorticosteroid 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 also restore your sense of smell through the methods of traditional medicine. Essential oils and herbal inhalations are considered especially effective. In particular, basil essential oil should be used. It is enough to put a few drops on a napkin, which then needs to be placed on the 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 from each nostril for 5 minutes. The procedure should be done for 10 days with a frequency of once a day.
