Your sense of smell is more important than you think. It does more than just let you enjoy the aromas of your favorite foods or flowers. It can also serve as a warning system—alerting you to dangers such as a gas leak, spoiled food, or a fire.
Many adults experience changes to their sense of smell. Twelve to 13 percent of Americans over age 40—about 13.3 million people—have problems with their ability to smell. These problems—known as “smell disorders”—are more common in men than women. The risk of having a smell disorder also increases with age; nearly 25 percent of men ages 60 to 69 have a smell disorder.
People with a smell disorder either have trouble smelling odors, or they experience odors differently than most people do. There are four types of smell disorders:
- Hyposmia – you have trouble detecting odors
- Anosmia – you can’t detect odors at all
- Parosmia – the way you perceive odors changes; for example, something that normally smells pleasant now smells foul
- Phantosmia – you perceive an odor that isn’t there
Smell disorders have many causes besides aging. Other causes are:
- Viruses
- Sinus inflammation and other upper-respiratory infections
- Smoking
- Head injuries
- Hormonal disturbances
- Dental problems
- Some medications
- Conditions that affect the nervous system
Changes in a person’s sense of smell can be short or long-lasting. Some people regain their ability to smell when they recover from the illness that caused the change. Others recover their sense of smell spontaneously, for no obvious reason.
If you experience changes in your sense of smell, talk to a doctor. Smell disorders can be a sign of a serious underlying health condition and can have a negative effect on your quality of life. An otolaryngologist—a specialist in diseases of the ear, nose, throat, head, and neck—can help identify the cause of a potential smell disorder and offer options for treatment.
Curious about how your sense of smell works? Learn how smells travel from the source to your brain and the reasons behind changes in your sense of smell in this short video from the National Institutes of Health at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). For more information on your sense of smell and smell disorders, visit NIDCD at https://www.nidcd.nih.gov.