This leaflet is to give you general information about your loss of sense of smell and advise you about safety at home and the dangers of living with the loss of your sense of smell. The medical term for the inability to smell is anosmia.

There are several medical conditions and medications that are associated with a loss of sense of smell. It is usually caused by either:

A problem with odours getting to the part of the nose that detects them because of blockage or a problem with the nerve signals from your nose to your brain. This can happen after

  • viral infections (Covid 19)
  • the result of a brain injury
  • nerve degeneration.

There are many causes of anosmia, unfortunately 20% of the time we are unable to identify the cause. Improvement depends on the underlying cause.

  • Smell disturbance caused by nasal congestion or inflammation, may respond to steroid treatment.
  • If nasal polyps have been found, surgery may be considered to help medical treatment.
  • Head injury sufferers may have some improvement in their sense smell over 6 to 9 months.
  • However in patients who suffer a viral infection only one third of them will recover
Safety measures

Due to you being unable to smell, there are some precautions that you must carry out. This is because you will not be able to smell smoke, poisonous fumes, leaking gas or food that has gone off.

It is therefore recommended that you:
  • Ensure smoke, carbon monoxide, gas detectors and alarms are installed in all areas of your home, especially in the kitchen and near the fireplace. The annual service of these detectors and alarm systems is recommended
  • Consider changing from natural gas appliances to electric.
  • Ensure you pay attention to all expiry dates on food.
  • Clearly mark all expiry dates on food and leftovers.  If in doubt, throw it out.
  • Read carefully all warning labels on products such as bathroom and kitchen cleaners and insecticides to be aware of potent chemicals
Anosmia can also be associated with poor taste, appetite and low mood
  • Monitor your weight in case it declines due to loss of appetite.
  • Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
  •  Explore different foods and ways of cooking them.  Create dishes that make use of interesting combinations of texture and colour.  Use ingredients that stimulate the taste buds – salty, bitter, sweet and sour – and use spices to add interest.
Smell training

A number of studies have been carried out which suggest that smell training – repeated exposure to odours – can potentially be of benefit to those affected by loss of smell particularly those who have lost their smell as a result of a virus such as the common cold or Covid 19.

It used to be thought that it was only for people who had some natural recovery already and so could experience some smell messages. Now we know that if people start training immediately after the virus has cleared or the injury has taken place, they can improve their chances of smell recovery through stimulation of the olfactory (smell) complex in the brain. 

Smell training is not a cure, but a way of amplifying your recovery. Every time you do it, you are stimulating the olfactory nerves that help you smell, this is what encourages them to heal.

Useful information

Organisations  AbScent and Fifth Sense  Fifth Sense website offer further support for loss of smell and smell training and smell training kits.

Confidentiality

‘The Trust’s vision is to keep your information safe in our hands.’ We promise to use your information fairly and legally, and in-line with local and national policies. You have a right to understand how your information is used and you can request a copy of the information we hold about you at any time.

For further information on confidentiality contact the Information Governance Team:

Information.Governance@ncic.nhs.uk | 01228 603961

Feedback

We appreciate and encourage feedback, which helps us to improve our services. If you have any comments, compliments or concerns to make about your care, please contact the Patient, Advice & Liaison Service:

pals@ncic.nhs.uk | 01228 814008 or 01946 523818

If you would like to raise a complaint regarding your care, please contact the Complaints Department:

complaints@ncic.nhs.uk | 01228 936302