Loss of Smell: Understanding and Treating Anosmia
Losing your sense of smell affects taste, safety, and quality of life. Our specialists identify the cause and work to restore your smell.
If you've lost your sense of smell, you know how profoundly it affects daily life—and there's hope for recovery.
What is Chronic Sneezing?
Loss of smell (anosmia) is the complete inability to detect odors, while partial loss is called hyposmia. This condition affects not only the ability to enjoy food and fragrances but also safety (detecting smoke, gas leaks) and quality of life. The sense of smell depends on olfactory neurons in the upper nasal cavity detecting odor molecules and sending signals to the brain. Smell can be lost due to nasal obstruction (blocking odors from reaching the receptors), damage to the olfactory epithelium, or neurological damage to the smell pathways. In Dubai, chronic sinusitis and nasal polyps are common causes, along with post-viral anosmia following respiratory infections.
Common Misconception
“Loss of smell just means I have a cold or allergies.”
Biological Reality
Chronic smell loss has specific causes: chronic sinusitis with polyps (30%), post-viral anosmia (20%), nasal obstruction (20%), head trauma (10%), and neurodegenerative conditions (5%). In Dubai, chronic sinusitis is extremely common due to allergies and air quality, making smell loss a frequent complaint. COVID-19 also emerged as a major cause of post-viral smell loss. Early treatment offers the best chance of recovery.
Loss of smell lasting more than 2-4 weeks requires evaluation—the sooner, the better the chances of recovery.
Symptoms That Often Occur Together
Loss of smell, especially with congestion, requires evaluation. Book consultation now.
Get EvaluatedWhy Does Sneezing Happen?
Multiple conditions can cause loss of smell.
How It Works
Smell loss occurs through different biological mechanisms: (1) Conductive loss—blockage prevents odor molecules from reaching the olfactory epithelium (nasal congestion, polyps, deviated septum, turbinate hypertrophy); (2) Sensory loss—damage to the olfactory receptor neurons themselves (viral infection including COVID-19, toxins, aging, smoking); (3) Neural loss—damage to the olfactory nerve or brain pathways (head trauma shearing olfactory nerve fibers at cribriform plate, neurodegenerative disease affecting olfactory bulb); (4) Central loss—damage to olfactory processing areas in the brain (tumors, neurological conditions); (5) Medication effects—some drugs damage smell receptors or nerve function; (6) Aging—presbyosmia is age-related smell loss from reduced receptor cell regeneration.
Common Underlying Causes
Chronic Sinusitis with Polyps
30%Nasal polyps physically block odor molecules from reaching receptors
Post-Viral Anosmia
20%Respiratory viruses damage olfactory neurons
Nasal Obstruction
20%Congestion, deviated septum, or swelling blocks nasal passage
Head Trauma
10%Olfactory nerve damage from head injury
Neurodegenerative Disease
5%Progressive loss of olfactory function
Common Triggers
Environmental
Lifestyle
How We Identify the Cause
Comprehensive evaluation helps identify the specific cause of smell loss.
Our Diagnostic Philosophy
At Healers Clinic, we understand how profoundly smell loss affects quality of life—from enjoying food to detecting dangers. Our comprehensive evaluation determines WHY you've lost your smell, which dictates treatment. For obstruction (polyps, sinusitis), we can often restore smell with treatment. For post-viral or neurological causes, we offer smell training therapy and hope for natural recovery over time. Early intervention is key—the longer smell neurons are damaged, the less likely full recovery.
ENT Examination
Assess nasal cavity and sinuses
Polyps, inflammation, structural issues
Olfactory Testing
Quantify degree of smell loss
Threshold, discrimination, identification scores
Nasal Endoscopy
Visualize internal nasal structures
Olfactory cleft, polyps, inflammation
Sinus CT Scan
Assess sinus anatomy
Sinus obstruction, polyps, anatomical issues
Blood Tests
Identify nutritional deficiencies, autoimmune markers
Zinc, B12, Vitamin D, inflammatory markers
Allergy Testing
Identify allergic triggers
Allergen sensitivities affecting nasal passages
Pathways to Relief
Olfactory Training
Stimulate olfactory nerve regeneration
- Sniff strong odors twice daily
- May improve recovery
- Evidence-based therapy
Sinus Treatment
Address chronic sinusitis and inflammation
- Reduces obstruction
- Restores airflow
- Treats underlying cause
Nutritional Support
Address deficiencies affecting smell
- Zinc supplementation
- Vitamin support
- Optimizes nerve function
Nasal Irrigation
Clear nasal passages and reduce inflammation
- Saline rinses
- Reduces congestion
- Improves airflow
Our Approach vs. Conventional Care
Conventional Approach
- Often tells patients there's nothing that can be done
- Doesn't identify treatable causes
- No smell training offered
Our Integrative Approach
- Identifies surgical candidates
- Provides smell training
- Maximizes recovery chances
Expected Healing Timeline
Phase 1: Assessment
Week 1History, endoscopy, and testing to identify cause
Phase 2: Treatment
Weeks 1-8Medication, surgery if needed, and smell training to begin recovery
Phase 3: Recovery
Months 2-12Continue smell training and monitor progress for maximum recovery
At-Home Recovery Tips
Sniff strong odors (lemon, rose, clove, eucalyptus) twice daily to stimulate olfactory neuron regeneration
Regular nasal irrigation to keep passages clear and improve nasal airflow
No smoking and limit exposure to strong chemicals to prevent further damage
Common Questions Answered
Restore Your Sense of Smell
Don't let anosmia diminish your quality of life. Our ENT specialists can identify the cause and maximize your chances of recovery.
Book Your Evaluation