I lost my sense of smell four years ago. The doctors told me that it is natural and that it is not a sickness

case 0071

I don't know if I've been anosmic from birth or if it's something that happened to me when I was very young, but I can't remember any period of my life where I actually was able to smell. My parents never noticed that I couldn't smell, so I'm not sure if I pretended to be able or if I actually was able. However, when I was six years old I apparently came home from school and asked my mother how freshly baked cinnamon rolls smelled like. We'd baked in school, and everyone was so excited about the smell when they were brought out of the oven and I instead got sad because I couldn't feel it. My mother got surprised, because she had absolutely no clue about this condition before that. We went to the hospital to check it out, but with little result. I was asked to smell several different things while being blindfolded, and I couldn't smell anything. The result was however that I was a stubborn child who lied, so not much more was done. After that I've never been able to smell. I'm 21 years old today and I get an itchy feeling in my nose when I cut garlic for example. I can feel that it's a very, very strong smell, but it's more like it's a taste stuck in my upper mouth rather than a smell going through my nose. I can stand right next to a fire and won't be able to smell the smoke. I regularly both cook and bake and besides onions and garlic I never pick up anything else. I could never smell the fertilizer in the country side. I don't know if this is any help at all, but since I myself really feel left out when other people are talking about smell, and don't really have a clue about what's wrong with me, I just wanted to contribute in any way I could.

case 0072

I had sinus problems since I was a teenager. My sinuses would sometimes bother me with congestion and poor smell. When I went to the doctor I was diagnosed with rhinosinusitis and poor sense of smell. I cannot smell or taste almost all of the time and when I can it is poor. Different medications had no effect and after surgery to remove polyps and reduce turbinates I could smell and taste for three and a half days, and then I lost it again. It was the same as before surgery. I think this should be considered as serious as losing one of the other senses, but it is not. It is so frustrating and how it has affected my life emotionally and the choices I have made has to be negative.

case 0073

A year ago I got the flu with sinus symptoms. As I started feeling better I realized that my sense of smell and taste didn't return. I had surgery eight months ago to remove a turbinate on the right side. At times I have fleeting smells, and I can tell if something that I eat is mentholy, minty, salty, sour, or sweet, but I can't really identify tastes or smells. I would travel to see a physician who treats anosmia, but I don't know of anyone who takes this condition seriously.

case 0074

I have never really been able to smell. I can smell things like ammonia and bleach but it has to be right under my nose. It's very frustrating not to have this sense. I don't tell people outside of my family that I'm not able to smell because I am embarrassed. As a nurse I know this is probably more common than one would expect but I have to say it almost makes me feel ashamed and left out that I am not able to smell what a sugar cookie, a barbeque, or a rose smells like. My partner tries to describe different smells to me and I just try to imagine.

case 0075

I was diagnosed with allergic rhinitis due to allergies but still maintained a sense of smell. However, after the birth of my first child I had a sudden and total loss of smell. I had no cold or other illness to prompt this and can think of no reason for this loss? I did have a sense of smell the day before my baby was born and none the day after! The only thing which has ever had an impact on my sense of smell has been steroid tablets which were prescribed for the asthma I also suffer from, but this relief is as short lived as the prescription. Now I continue to suffer from smells which I feel are "trapped" in my nose. The smells change every so often and this badly affects my sense of taste. These smells range from a burning smell to a metallic smell. I would badly like to recover my sense of smell.

case 0076

I suffered from sinusitis for about 18 years. Suddenly, about five years ago, I found that I was absolutely cured. However, for the past few years, I found that I have lost my ability to taste or smell. This condition usually lasted for about two weeks and then it would be back to normal. However, now it has been more than seven months and things are getting from bad to worse. I cannot taste or smell anything at all, despite the fact that my sinuses are totally cured.

case 0077

I have probably never been able to smell. When I was younger, I would pretend to be able to smell, and when someone announced that they smelled cookies, I would just go along and say, "Me too!" I had always figured a sense of smell was something that developed as you got older. For a long time I wasn't really sure if I had a sense of smell. I misinterpreted nasal irritation or the feeling of warm air in my nose as smells. However, I could never identify any smells and in in psychology class in college I learned that the sense of smell is not actually felt that way. I have also problems processing words and hypothesize that my difficulty in hearing is connected to my lack of sense of smell. I once burnt popcorn in the microwave and now I am worried about not being able to smell smoke. I also wonder what my sense of taste would be like, if I could smell. I can tell the difference between an apple and an onion: onions are more celery-like in texture. There are advantages, of course. Aside from pity and visually caused disgust, there is no reason for me to take particular note of road kill skunk. Overall, I regret not being able to smell, although it makes for a good conversation topic when I make a rare attempt to socialize.