SMELL LOSS & HEALTH
A change in your sense of smell can be temporary, persistent, or sometimes an early clue that something else is changing. Types of loss:
Anosmia - complete loss
Hyposmia - reduced small
Parosmia - distorted smell
Phantosmia - something that isn’t there
NOT ALL SMELL LOSS IS THE SAME
Post-viral / COVID-19
One of the best-known causes of sudden smell loss.
Aging
Smell sensitivity commonly declines with age, although the degree varies considerably.
Sinus & nasal conditions
Congestion, chronic rhinosinusitis, polyps and other conditions can interfere with odour reaching the olfactory system.
Head injury
Trauma can damage structures involved in smell.
Medications, smoking & exposures
Some drugs and environmental factors can affect olfactory function.
Neurological conditions
Smell changes are frequently associated with Parkinson’s disease, mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
CHANGES IN SMELL
COVID / POST-VIRAL
Viruses can cause sudden smell loss, and for some people the change persists or becomes distorted.PARKINSON’S DISEASE
Smell loss is one of the most common non-motor features of Parkinson’s and can appear years before movement symptoms.MCI & DEMENTIA
Poorer smell identification is associated with cognitive decline and is being studied as an early marker of neurodegenerative change.AGING
Smell commonly declines with age, but because the change can be gradual, many people never realize it is happening.
80% DIDN’T KNOW
In a large study of adults aged 53–97, only 1 in 5 people who were objectively found to have smell impairment reported that anything was wrong.
Among people aged 80–97, more than 60% had measurable smell impairment, while awareness of the loss was particularly poor.
MOOD
Linked with higher rates of depression and lower quality of life.
FOOD
Can change appetite, enjoyment, food preferences and eating habits.
SAFETY
Makes smoke, leaking gas and spoiled food harder to detect.
AWARENESS
Many people with measurable smell loss don’t realize they have it.
BRAIN HEALTH
Smell changes can appear alongside—or sometimes before—neurological and cognitive decline.