What are olfactory disorders?
What are the causes of dysosmia (a distortion in thesense of smell) and why do they occur?
Why is this so important?
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Olfaction, our sense of smell, plays a significant role in almost everyone’s life.
You may have heard that “taste” primarily smells, and that is true to a large degree.
Each receptor is thought to have a special shape that fits these odorants like a key fits a lock.
The olfactory receptors live on an estimated six to ten million olfactory chemoreceptor cells in each nasal cavity.
Smell Disorders
There are several terms that are used to describe the different types of smell disorders.
A physical exam can look for evidence of a viral infection or nasal polyps.
A careful history may reveal possible toxic exposures.
Sometimes, dysomia resolves on its own in time.
Olfactory training is currently being evaluated and comes off as promising in early studies.
Coping is thus the primary goal of treatment.
2021;23(1):250. doi:10.1186/s13075-021-02624-6
