What problems do people with smell disorder face?

Most of us do not even realize what an important role the sense of smell plays and what problems people who are deprived of it face.

A research published in Clinical Otolaryngology has shown problems that people face without the sense of smell.

According to experts, about 5% of people around the world suffer from smell disorder. This problem can be caused by infections, traumas, neurological diseases, as well as some medications.

A study conducted with 71 people with anosmia (loss of the sense of smell) showed that their quality of life has reduced significantly. First, they have problems with perceiving danger; without the sense of smell, they do not smell of burning food, natural gas, or smoke.

In addition, such people face a number of personal hygiene problems because they do not feel the smell of their own bodies. And parents who are deprived of the sense of smell do not know when it is necessary to change their toddlers' diapers.

Another very important problem is the lack of the ability to associate smell with happy memories. Many people also talk about the negative impact of anosmia on relationships—ranging from problems with joint food intake to sexual issues.

By the way, the majority of patients with smell disorder do not sense taste, too, which is why such people lose interest in food and its preparation. Some of these people have pathologically lost weight due to lack of appetite, and others have gained weight by eating more foods with low nutritional value and high levels of fat, salt, and sugar.

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