Reviewed By:
Eric A. Gantwerker, MD, MMSC (Otolaryngology (ENT))
Pediatric Otolaryngologist at Northwell Health and Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He holds a Master of Medical Science (MMSc) in Medical Education with a special focus on educational technology, educational research, and game-based learning from Harvard Medical School and a Master of Science in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University. He has a special interest in faculty development and has been a speaker or faculty at hundreds of local, national, and international courses and conferences. He is also an active blogger and podcaster for several organizations, including the Harvard Macy Institute (HMI), Harvard Medical School CME Online, and BackTable Innovations. He has been featured in the news and print for media outlets such as USA Today, Businesswire, The Washington Post, Nature Medicine, Fox News, and KevinMD. He was also the Vice President, Medical Director of a medical video game company, Level Ex from 2018 to 2023 that utilized game technology and psychology to create interactive experiences for healthcare professionals. | He is recognized as an expert on the implementation of educational technologies and gaming with a foundation in educational theory for health professions education. He was honored to be inducted as an Associate Member of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Academy of Master Surgeon Educators and as an Associate Fellow of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE).
Rohini R, MD (Otolaryngology (ENT))
Dr. Rohini R is an ENT, Head and Neck Surgeon, with a Fellowship in Advanced Endoscopic Sinus and Skull Base Surgery and a Fellowship in Aesthetic Medicine and Lasers. Besides clinical practice and working with Ubie, she is actively training and mentoring medical students and residents. She has functioned in various work settings - teaching hospitals, private and free health centers, and worked with patients from all socioeconomic backgrounds due to her experience in free hospitals and volunteering in India and Singapore.
Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)
Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.
Content updated on Apr 4, 2024
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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Try one of these related symptoms.
I can't smell
Bad sense of smell
Strange sense of smell
Difficulty smelling
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Impaired smell
Olfactory disorder
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Abnormal sense of smell (Dysosmia) can be a partial or complete loss of sense of smell (anosmia). It can be due to any number of things including infection, masses such as polyps, or direct toxic damage to the nerves of smell (olfactory nerves). This can also affect taste as a large portion of what is taste is due to the smell except the basic taste perceptions of bitter, sweet, salty, and sour.
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
Generally, I can't smell can be related to:
A progressive nervous system disorder affecting movement. It occurs due to nerve cell damage in the brain. The exact cause for PD is unknown. Risk factors include genetics, male gender, old age, and exposure to certain toxins and environmental factors.
Dissociative disorder is a mental disorder that involves experiencing a disconnection and lack of continuity between thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions, and identity. People with dissociative disorder escape reality in ways that are involuntary and unhealthy, causing problems with functioning in everyday life.
A condition caused by allergens like pollen and dust mites, resulting in a runny nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes.
Sometimes, I can't smell may be related to these serious diseases:
A brain tumor is a growth of abnormal cells in the brain. They can be cancerous or non-cancerous. Cancerous brain tumors can start in the brain (primary tumor) or spread from another cancerous organ (secondary tumor). Primary brain tumors are caused by abnormal changes in the DNA of brain cells.
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
Q.
How Can I Get Sense of Taste and Smell Back After COVID Infection?
A.
It seems that the large majority of people (>80%) will completely recover their sense of taste or smell in about one month after COVID infection.
References:
Othieno F, Schlosser RJ, Rowan NR, Storck KA, Mattos JL, Smith TL, Soler ZM. Taste impairment in chronic rhinosinusitis. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2018 Jul;8(7):783-789. doi: 10.1002/alr.22113. Epub 2018 Mar 23. PMID: 29569385; PMCID: PMC6582951.
Mitchell MB, Workman AD, Rathi VK, Bhattacharyya N. Smell and Taste Loss Associated with COVID-19 Infection. Laryngoscope. 2023 Sep;133(9):2357-2361. doi: 10.1002/lary.30802. Epub 2023 Jun 2. PMID: 37265267.
Mitchell MB, Workman AD, Rathi VK, Bhattacharyya N. Smell and Taste Loss Associated with COVID-19 Infection. Laryngoscope. 2023 Sep;133(9):2357-2361. doi: 10.1002/lary.30802. Epub 2023 Jun 2. PMID: 37265267.
Q.
What Are the Symptoms of Smell Dysfunction (Dysosmia)?
A.
Smell dysfunction, or dysosmia, encompasses a range of symptoms, including a reduced ability to smell (hyposmia), a distorted sense of smell (parosmia), phantom smells (phantosmia), and a complete loss of smell (anosmia).
References:
Feldman JI, Wright HN, Leopold DA. The initial evaluation of dysosmia. Am J Otolaryngol. 1986 Nov-Dec;7(6):431-44. doi: 10.1016/s0196-0709(86)80019-9. PMID: 3541661.
Kühn M, Abolmaali N, Smitka M, Podlesek D, Hummel T. Riechstörungen : Aktuelles zur Diagnostik und Therapie [Dysosmia : current aspects of diagnostics and therapy]. HNO. 2013 Nov;61(11):975-84; quiz 985. German. doi: 10.1007/s00106-013-2759-3. PMID: 24221226.
Marin C, Vilas D, Langdon C, Alobid I, López-Chacón M, Haehner A, Hummel T, Mullol J. Olfactory Dysfunction in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2018 Jun 15;18(8):42. doi: 10.1007/s11882-018-0796-4. PMID: 29904888.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11882-018-0796-4Shin T, Kim J, Ahn M, Moon C. Olfactory Dysfunction in CNS Neuroimmunological Disorders: a Review. Mol Neurobiol. 2019 May;56(5):3714-3721. doi: 10.1007/s12035-018-1341-0. Epub 2018 Sep 6. PMID: 30191380.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12035-018-1341-0D'Ascanio L, Pandolfini M, Cingolani C, Latini G, Gradoni P, Capalbo M, Frausini G, Maranzano M, Brenner MJ, Di Stadio A. Olfactory Dysfunction in COVID-19 Patients: Prevalence and Prognosis for Recovering Sense of Smell. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2021 Jan;164(1):82-86. doi: 10.1177/0194599820943530. Epub 2020 Jul 14. PMID: 32662745.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0194599820943530Prediger RD, Schamne MG, Sampaio TB, Moreira ELG, Rial D. Animal models of olfactory dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases. Handb Clin Neurol. 2019;164:431-452. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-444-63855-7.00024-1. PMID: 31604561.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780444638557000241?via%3DihubReviewed By:
Eric A. Gantwerker, MD, MMSC (Otolaryngology (ENT))
Pediatric Otolaryngologist at Northwell Health and Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He holds a Master of Medical Science (MMSc) in Medical Education with a special focus on educational technology, educational research, and game-based learning from Harvard Medical School and a Master of Science in Physiology and Biophysics from Georgetown University. He has a special interest in faculty development and has been a speaker or faculty at hundreds of local, national, and international courses and conferences. He is also an active blogger and podcaster for several organizations, including the Harvard Macy Institute (HMI), Harvard Medical School CME Online, and BackTable Innovations. He has been featured in the news and print for media outlets such as USA Today, Businesswire, The Washington Post, Nature Medicine, Fox News, and KevinMD. He was also the Vice President, Medical Director of a medical video game company, Level Ex from 2018 to 2023 that utilized game technology and psychology to create interactive experiences for healthcare professionals. | He is recognized as an expert on the implementation of educational technologies and gaming with a foundation in educational theory for health professions education. He was honored to be inducted as an Associate Member of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Academy of Master Surgeon Educators and as an Associate Fellow of the Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE).
Rohini R, MD (Otolaryngology (ENT))
Dr. Rohini R is an ENT, Head and Neck Surgeon, with a Fellowship in Advanced Endoscopic Sinus and Skull Base Surgery and a Fellowship in Aesthetic Medicine and Lasers. Besides clinical practice and working with Ubie, she is actively training and mentoring medical students and residents. She has functioned in various work settings - teaching hospitals, private and free health centers, and worked with patients from all socioeconomic backgrounds due to her experience in free hospitals and volunteering in India and Singapore.
Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)
Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.
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