Anosmia

            Imagine waking up one day and not being able to smell.  Some people are born without a sense of smell and some lose it unexpectedly for a number of reasons.  We call this Anosmia, and it is the loss of smell. This can be a complete loss or a partial loss. Your loss of smell can be permanent or temporarily; depending on what the cause is.  There are many things that can cause Anosmia. Obviously with old age our senses become weaker.  Things like a common cold can cause you to have a partial loss of smell, because your nasal passages are temporarily blocked.  Things like brain tumors, diabetes,  brain surgery, chemical exposures, Huntington’s disease,  medications, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis to name a few. Depending upon the cause you may be able to regain your sense of smell.  Your sense of smell may come back on its own, or you may need to see a doctor.  A doctor will be able to see if there is something blocking your nasal passage, or give you an antibiotic that clears up a bacterial infection. 

          My fiancé has Anosmia and cannot remember the last time he could smell something. He went to a doctor when he was in college, and they wanted him to get a MRI.  He was going to school at the University of Delaware at the time and did not have the time to come back to follow up with it, and has not done anything about it now that he graduated and is home. He said that there was one time the fire alarm went off and his roommates were at class and he was worried and running around everywhere trying to put out a fire that he could not smell.  I found other people with Anosmia on YouTube and found that this is a concern with people with Anosmia. If there is anything dangerous around and you are alone there is no way to tell. It was interesting to look into Anosmia more, and tell my fiancé he needs to go back to the doctor and get that MRI.