I Can't Smell
Free Symptom Checker
with Physician-supervised AI
Reviewed By:
Rohini R, MD (Ear, nose, throat (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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Content updated on Jan 4, 2023
About the symptom
Abnormal sense of smell can be a partial or complete loss of sense of smell.
When to see a doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
Numbness / sensory disorder
Visual field defect
Change in personality
Head injury
Fine tremor of the fingers
Fever
Altered mental status (delirium)
Involuntary movements
Impossible to walk normally
Muscle weakness in the limbs
Blurring of vision
Headache
Possible causes
- Dissociative disorder
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.
- Sinusitis
Infection of the sinuses, which are cavities around the nose. The infection can be acute (lasting about a week) or chronic (lasting more than three months). It can be caused by viruses or bacteria.
- Parkinson disease (PD)
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.
- Acute tonsillitis / pharyngitis
- Pregnancy
- Otitis media
- Subcortical hemorrhage
Refsum syndrome
Related serious diseases
- Brain tumor
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.
- Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea
Questions your doctor may ask about this symptom
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom
Do you have any change in your sense of smell?
Do you have a fever?
Do you have a sore throat?
Do you have a cough?
Do you have phlegm?
Other Related Symptoms
Symptoms from the same body system / part
Symptoms treated by the same specialty
References
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/s11882-018-0796-4
Shin 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/s12035-018-1341-0
D'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/10.1177/0194599820943530
Prediger 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%3Dihub
Reviewed By:
Rohini R, MD (Ear, nose, throat (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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