Anosmia Research Paper
What is Anosmia?
Approximately two to five million American adults suffer from disorders of taste and smell. Anosmia is to smell, as blindness is to sight, or deafness is to hearing. Anosmics cannot detect scents of any kind. Over 200 medical conditions and many medications have been associated with olfactory changes and loss. Smell seems to be the sense people take most for granted. There are no galleries displaying smells like paintings, no concertos written for noses, no special menus of smells created for grand occasions; yet this is the most direct and basic of the senses. For patients who are untreatable, counseling is important. These patients need to understand that their disorder is not unique. Support groups are helpful.
The major …show more content…
Illness :
Violent coughing can damage the nerves in the olfactory glands, a viral infection or respiratory virus may damage the olfactory nerve. When a viral infection like the "flu" involves the cells of the olfactory epithelium, the viral particles destroy the normal functioning of the nasal olfactory cells. Also, allergy or infection in the nasal cavity. Anosmia can occur transiently in many nasal disorders, including sinusitis and nasal blockage from any cause.
Born without a sense of smell (congenital):
Perhaps due to a problem in a fetus’ pre-natal development, resulting in the olfactory nerves never developing and in addition it can be transmitted genetically
Inflammatory conditions (swelling):
Severe inflamation of the nasal passages causing nasal obstruction, allergy or infection, either by viruses such as the common cold or bacteria as often found in sinusitis, swelling of the brain (due to an accident, etc.) and concussion …show more content…
For example, nasal polyps associated with allergic rhinitis, malignant, such as an epidermoid carcinoma and pituitary tumor
Dentistry work :
Dental injections, damage to both olfaction and taste, injury to the taste buds, injury to the nerves responsible for taste and poor dental hygiene may cause distortions of taste.
Medical conditions:
Kallmann's Syndrome: a genetically determined syndrome. Those affected fail to develop olfactory bulbs (and thus are anosmic) as a result of failure of olfactory nerves to make contact with the developing brain early in life. Kallmann's most often affects males. Psychological or psychiatric conditions can affect smell perception: for example, depression, hysteric conversion reactions, and schizophrenia. Opitz-Frias Syndrome: a very rare problem with cranio-facial development , spinal meningitis during infancy,uncinate epilepsy can produce brief, vivid, unpleasant olfactory hallucinations and sjögren's syndrome.
Medication:
Long-term use of nasal spray to deal with sinus problems, antibiotics such as metronidazole and cefuroxime and cipro, zythromax, radiation therapy of the head and neck, desquamation of the tongue can impair taste and various drugs such as amitriptyline and vincristine can alter
Approximately two to five million American adults suffer from disorders of taste and smell. Anosmia is to smell, as blindness is to sight, or deafness is to hearing. Anosmics cannot detect scents of any kind. Over 200 medical conditions and many medications have been associated with olfactory changes and loss. Smell seems to be the sense people take most for granted. There are no galleries displaying smells like paintings, no concertos written for noses, no special menus of smells created for grand occasions; yet this is the most direct and basic of the senses. For patients who are untreatable, counseling is important. These patients need to understand that their disorder is not unique. Support groups are helpful.
The major …show more content…
Illness :
Violent coughing can damage the nerves in the olfactory glands, a viral infection or respiratory virus may damage the olfactory nerve. When a viral infection like the "flu" involves the cells of the olfactory epithelium, the viral particles destroy the normal functioning of the nasal olfactory cells. Also, allergy or infection in the nasal cavity. Anosmia can occur transiently in many nasal disorders, including sinusitis and nasal blockage from any cause.
Born without a sense of smell (congenital):
Perhaps due to a problem in a fetus’ pre-natal development, resulting in the olfactory nerves never developing and in addition it can be transmitted genetically
Inflammatory conditions (swelling):
Severe inflamation of the nasal passages causing nasal obstruction, allergy or infection, either by viruses such as the common cold or bacteria as often found in sinusitis, swelling of the brain (due to an accident, etc.) and concussion …show more content…
For example, nasal polyps associated with allergic rhinitis, malignant, such as an epidermoid carcinoma and pituitary tumor
Dentistry work :
Dental injections, damage to both olfaction and taste, injury to the taste buds, injury to the nerves responsible for taste and poor dental hygiene may cause distortions of taste.
Medical conditions:
Kallmann's Syndrome: a genetically determined syndrome. Those affected fail to develop olfactory bulbs (and thus are anosmic) as a result of failure of olfactory nerves to make contact with the developing brain early in life. Kallmann's most often affects males. Psychological or psychiatric conditions can affect smell perception: for example, depression, hysteric conversion reactions, and schizophrenia. Opitz-Frias Syndrome: a very rare problem with cranio-facial development , spinal meningitis during infancy,uncinate epilepsy can produce brief, vivid, unpleasant olfactory hallucinations and sjögren's syndrome.
Medication:
Long-term use of nasal spray to deal with sinus problems, antibiotics such as metronidazole and cefuroxime and cipro, zythromax, radiation therapy of the head and neck, desquamation of the tongue can impair taste and various drugs such as amitriptyline and vincristine can alter