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 0284

I hit my head about five years ago and fractured the base of my skull. I lost my sense of smell and never regained it. I can tell if there is a dramatic change in smell but only that there has been a change not what it has changed to. Food pretty much has different degrees of tasting horrible as I seem to have one taste for everything be it toothpaste or a piece of chicken. Sometimes I think I can taste something like an orange but I think that really is from memory and not that I can actually taste it. I have not come across anything to make it any better and by now I can tolerate the horrible taste. But I will never fully get used to it. I just let myself get so hungry before I eat that the taste does not matter. It's just for fuel.

case 0285

The only time in my life I have ever smelled is when I was pregnant. Naturally, since I never had this sense I did not know anyone "smelled" differently than I did. My first smell experience was a bus on the street. I finally understood what everyone was talking about — how nasty! I have seen doctors about this and their response was: "why not get pregnant again so we can test you". Eating is a challenge and I have eaten more rotten food than I care to share. Imagine not knowing if the milk is bad, when your child has shit their pants or that you stepped in dog shit. Now think about the bad smells and tell me there are days you would rather not have this sense as well.

case 0286

I had what I thought was allergies and noticed that my sense of smell and taste was a little off. After recovering from the allergies (that I thought I had), I continued to notice that my sense of smell just wasn't the same. Not only was my smell off but it occurred to me that all foul odors smelled the same, kind of like a medicine/wood polish type of smell. I also began to taste the same smell occasionally. I am unable to smell my farts or when I go to the restroom. If I do smell anything it is the medicine/wood polish smell. Four months later I still cannot smell anything as before.

case 0287

Two years ago I had an accident that left me unconscious for several days. I have recovered except that I permanently lost my sense of taste and smell. I only realized that I lost my sense of smell when I came home from the hospital and my husband was cooking the Christmas ham. I am a chef and losing my sense of smell has been a major drawback. Seasoning is now a guessing game and I have to rely on others. I know what's in my mouth is sweet or savory. But I can't identify flavors like cinnamon, rosemary, sage, or thyme. Food had become bland. I also feel like I am a health and safety risk in the kitchen as I cannot smell gas or anything burning on the stove.

case 0288

I noticed my sense of smell changing in my 40s. I smelled burning rubber for a year and that stopped and now I smell only a few things like people who are wearing smelly, sweaty clothes. I can smell things if they are pressed right to my nose, but if it is even an inch away and the smell is gone. I can't smell odors around the house: mildew, mold, or cat urine. I don't smell food cooking and therefore burn a lot of my dishes because I used to rely on the smell to note whether it was done. I smell nothing at work, nothing outside, no fresh grass clippings, no flowers, no gasoline. My sense of taste is muted and I now prefer strong spice. It's really very sad.

case 0289

I have a problem with my sense of smell. Since my childhood I find it difficult to smell. I am worried because I can't smell anything which is putting life to risk.

case 0290

I had a very severe cold that resulted in an abnormal production of mucus. I used nasal sprays which helped a little. However, after the cold cleared up I had no sense of smell. I consulted an ear nose throat specialist. He gave me a cortisone injection to rule out nerve damage. I regained smell but this slowly disappeared. Sinus surgery made no difference. The odd thing is that just after having a cold I often have a period during which I can smell! It doesn't last long but it makes me realize my body can "cure" me. Possibly reduce swelling in my mucosa with the production of natural cortisone. I have never used a cortisone nasal spray for a long period as I have really given up on this very sad state of affairs.

case 0291

I have never been able to smell farts. When I was in elementary school and people farted on the bus, everyone would say "eeeewwww" but I would never be able to detect the odor they were reacting to. Even now my boyfriend farts regularly and even after he stinks up the bathroom I am unaffected. It's funny because they are just funny noises to me, nothing more. I do not pass gas much but even when I do I cannot smell them either. I can smell "car farts" and sulphur-type odors outdoors near swamps and marshes but not human farts.

case 0292

Two years ago I was very sick for a week or more. I used nose spray to clear my nose. Afterwards I noticed that I wasn't able to taste or smell. Unfortunately, I could still smell bad things like cigarette smoke, body odor, gasoline and similar stinky smells. On rare occasions I smelled other stuff but it was only for a moment and didn't last long enough for me to identify the smell. It was bad when I would eat with other people. They always ask about my food or my family would ask me to taste something and I would have to explain again that I still can't taste... It seemed that in some cases my loss of taste and smell took away their pleasures, so I just started lying if someone asked me how my dinner was. If my grandmother asked me to taste something, I would say "oh that is very good". Lying was easier than trying to explain that I ate textures now, not food. Trying to explain that I could almost always tell if something was sweet or salty or sour but had no flavor is like trying to describe the color white. Today, I tasted cantaloupe and barbeque! Now, I can't wait to start cooking again…trying new recipes… I want to eat all the foods that I have missed for the last two years tomorrow, in case my sense of smell will disappear again.