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 0755

I've never had a sense of smell. Never.

case 0756

Last year my sense of smell began to diminish — quite profoundly and quite quickly. In a matter of a month or so, it was gone completely. In fact, I didn't notice it at first. It was only a few months later that I realized I wasn't smelling anything anymore. A month before my sense of smell began to diminish, I was hospitalized and had a nasogastric tube inserted and I wondered if there had been damage. Around the same time, I sprayed a lot of anti-flea pesticide and used a lot of flea repellant on myself. I wondered if the loss of smell was due to poisoning by these pesticides. I may get the slightest whiff of some scent, if I am right on top of it, for just a few seconds — then it is gone. I would describe the condition as "having no input from the world of smell" at all. Neither good nor bad input. I cannot smell food, flowers, rain, soap, etc. I cannot smell rot, mildew, dirt, my own body, smoke, gas, fire, the litter box... well, really anything. I do notice that the anxiety and depression around the loss of smell grows greater by the week. I am especially anxious about my home because I can't smell dirt and "cleanliness" (for lack of better word) and have become somewhat fixated on not letting people in.

case 0757

About ten years ago I began to notice that I was losing my sense of smell. This gradually became worse. Now I cannot smell anything. However, I still find that food tastes good even though I cannot enjoy the smell of it. What I miss the most are the fragrances of flowers, such as lavender, lilac, and lily-of-the-valley.

case 0758

I fell on the back of my head and fractured my skull. Now I have anosmia.

case 0759

I cannot smell bad odors like the odor of dead rats or dirty toilets. After my wife points out the odors to me, I can smell them weakly.

case 0760

I had a pituitary gland tumor removed three months ago. After surgery when I got home I lost my sense of smell and taste.

case 0761

Twenty-three years ago I had a flu and started losing my sense of smell slowly. Sometimes I can smell a little but it only lasts for five minutes. Then I can't smell anything for two weeks.

case 0762

For a long time I had severe nasal congestion problems. To overcome them I used an inhaler that gave me occasional relief. After several years I gradually discovered that I had lost my sense of olfaction but was quite ignorant about the cause.

case 0763

About ten years ago I started to notice I was getting a lot of colds. I was blowing my nose a lot and I had lost my sense of smell. I was diagnosed with a deviated septum, nasal polyps, and a lot of infections. I had surgery to rectify the problem and it worked. I got my smell back for about two years. I had two more surgeries and in both cases regained my sense of smell. About two years ago I had the last surgery and since then I have had no sense of smell. Only after I exercise I do get a sense of smell for about five minutes.

case 0764

I lost my sense of smell and taste in a head trauma accident. My sense of taste came back. My sense of smell has not.

case 0765

I had a terrible sense that I smelled like cigarette smoke all the time and went to many doctors, but nobody could figure it out. Then I got an antidepressant prescribed and within days the constant smell of cigarettes was gone. However, over the next few years I found that I couldn't smell anything. Now, five years later, I can only smell very heavy perfume or cigarette smoke. The weird thing is also that if I see someone smoking, even from a distance, I can smell the smoke. It is horrible to lose the sense of smell and I am hoping there is some way to get it back.

case 0766

I am told that when I was two I fell and injured my head. When I was five I noticed that others were not pleased when a certain bodily function occurred. I could not smell except for three things: 1. I smell fish when I open the door of a car that sat in the sun and I try to get in the car and sense the presence of excessive heat in the car. 2. I smell alcohol when I use excessive amounts of hand sanitizer. 3. I can smell the steam from ramen.

case 0767

I have for many years suffered from sinus problems. My sense of smell has never been good since my forties. Recently I lost my sense of smell entirely. I am just left with one very strange rather sickly smell. I am concerned I will never smell again.

case 0768

I have had five treatments of electroconvulsive therapy for a depression episode over the last three weeks. The main outcome of the treatment so far is that I appear to have gotten back my sense of smell. I was not aware that I had lost my sense of smell, but over the last week, I am very aware of all the smells around me and the memories they invoke. The smells/memories have all been happy/positive. So far, no professionals have been able to explain the reason for this, but I am seeing it as a positive experience/outcome of the treatment.

case 0769

I keep smelling the same odor of an electrical fire. I thought it was something wrong with my heating and air conditioner but it checked out to be nothing. I smell it everywhere I go. I smell it in cars, outdoors and in other houses. It is worse in my own home. No one else smells it.

case 0770

I noticed that my sense of smell is either non-existent or overly sensitive many months ago. I wonder if exposure to exhaust fumes at work had exacerbated the problem. I also have allergies, especially in the spring. I don't know what to think but it has become worse lately and is causing me concern.