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 0359

About ten years ago I started to notice that I smelled things that other people weren't. It was usually a garbage smell or cat urine. My family used to tell me I was crazy. As time has gone by, my sense of smell has gotten worse. My ear nose throat doctor told me that my sense of smell was somewhat diminished, but that there was nothing that could be done. In the past few weeks, my sense of smell has almost disappeared over night. I am very discouraged as you don't realize how important smell is until you don't have it any more.

case 0360

I had extensive nasal polyps. Sinus surgery resulted in the loss of virtually all sense of smell. It has been seven weeks since surgery. My sense of smell was perfect with the untreated polyps.

case 0361

Since my 20s I had frequent spells of colds and nasal blocking at night. Later, I realized that my olfactory sense had considerably decreased. I underwent corrective surgery for deviated nasal septum — after which the sense of smell was totally gone. I am now unable to perceive even very strong odors.

case 0362

Several times a day I have a cinnamon smell in my nose.

case 0363

I had a lot of earaches as a young child. They improved greatly after removal of my tonsils. But every time I got a bad cold, it went straight to my ears. One of my eardrums burst in my early twenties. When the second one burst, I lost my sense of smell. It came back at times but always left when I had the slightest congestion. I then had chemotherapy and lost my sense of smell for over a year afterward. It now comes back, at times, but is never consistent.

case 0364

I started to gradually lose my sense of smell about 14 months ago. I am currently going through menopause.

case 0365

I have persistent asthma attacks. I also had pneumonia and other lung infections. In the last lung infection my sense of smell deteriorated. In the beginning I thought it was because the infection, but four months later it did not get any better. There are no polyps in my nose and my doctors are thinking it could be related to anxiety or stress.

case 0366

I lost my sense of smell after the olfactory nerve was cut during a cancer-related trepanation surgery.

case 0367

In the last month I have had some days where I smell stuff that's not there. On some days I smell wood smoke and on other days I smell something akin to diesel exhaust. This happens about every third day.

case 0368

I cannot smell unless I hold something up close to my nose. I can smell my own perspiration slightly. I can smell ground coffee. I can't smell my dog's breath even though other people say he has bad breath. I have a slight smell of flowers if I put my nose right in them. I worked in a factory in which I was exposed to chemicals that irritated my sinuses. I really want to smell again.

case 0369

I fell backward and hit the back of my head hard enough to lose consciousness for a moment. I spent two days in the hospital with a concussion and skull fracture. At a follow-up I was told that I had destroyed my olfactory nerves and that I more than likely would not recover my sense of smell.

case 0370

Almost 30 years ago I started disliking musk-based perfumes. Through the years I also started disliking all oil-based odors, including paint thinners and solvents. Engine fumes and tobacco fumes became very ugly and annoying during colds and flues.

case 0371

I can smell the air and it's driving me crazy. It smells like smog. The smell of lilacs in a small room is overwhelming.

case 0372

I smell smoke off and on when there is no smoke present. Sometimes it actually seems to burn my nose just like real smoke. It comes and goes but seems to be getting more frequent. I think it began about a year ago. It is annoying but otherwise not causing any problems.

case 0373

After several months of sinus infections, colds and continual sinus drainage I have lost my sense of smell and taste.

case 0374

About two years ago I started to notice that my sense of smell and taste was not what it is supposed to be. I can still smell some things but nowhere near what I should smell. My taste buds are also not what they should be but I can still sense different hot spices.

case 0375

I have an abnormal sense of smell and an almost complete loss of my sense of taste since a cold 2-3 months ago.

case 0376

I started to lose my sense of smell gradually and now I realize that it is not coming back. I smell nothing except for rarely I smell smoke from a fireplace or pine trees. I only taste sweet and salty. I like textures in foods.

case 0377

I have never had a sense of smell but can taste food. I would love to be able to smell one day.

case 0378

I had a really bad cold/cough for one week nine months ago. By the end of the week I had completely lost my sense of smell and taste. I thought it would return soon as this has happened before when my nose has been blocked with a cold. It has not returned and I have not regained my sense of smell but I have noticed recently that my sense of smell/taste is returning but is distorted. Some things have an "ethylene" type taste. Nothing tastes as it should, it is as though the wires are crossed in my sense of smell or similar to being color blind! I did notice this morning that I could smell the true scent of my perfume so I am hoping it will return to normal eventually.

case 0379

I gradually lost my sense of smell. It has not disappeared entirely, yet. I can still smell stronger odors. A strange phenomenon is that strong odors that I detect persist long after their source is no longer present — this "persistence" of an odor may remain for periods up to an hour or even longer.
I sneeze a lot and have blocked nasal passages at night.