Lost taste and smell what to do. Loss of smell, impaired sensitivity to odors: causes, treatment

Occasionally, a runny nose can lead not only to the appearance of sinusitis or sinusitis, but also to a violation of the perception of smells. When it becomes the main issue for the patient. This problem can be quickly solved if you consult with an otolaryngologist in a timely manner. Consider, how to get your sense of smell back quickly and without consequences.

Classification of violations

Therapy is prescribed only after the type of smell disorder is correctly determined. The imbalance of smell is divided into the following types:

Hyposomia. It is manifested by a violation of the perception of strong and weak odors, the functioning occurs partially.
Anosomy – total loss aroma perception. Such a violation usually appears after severe and neglected diseases or after a stroke. If a lost sense of smell and taste, then this is a clear sign of anosomy.
Kakosmiya - false perception of smell. When the smell is normal, but the patient is unpleasant. Such an ailment is extremely rare and has nothing to do with respiratory diseases.
Hyperosmia is a heightened sense of smell, which is usually associated with various mental disorders.

Lack of smell may disturb the patient's peace of mind. People with such ailments become more irritable, fall into depressive states.

Causes of the lack of smell with a runny nose

With rhinitis, a runny nose is accompanied by general weakness of the body, fever, pastosity of the respiratory tract, difficulty breathing, poor perception of smells.

Also in patients disappears appetite, food becomes tasteless and the patient often responds with "I I can't taste or smell so I don't want to eat. However, after a cold, the sense of smell returns to normal.

One of the main reasons for the deterioration of the perception of odors is the pastiness of the nasal mucosa. Such puffiness appears as a symptom of SARS, hay fever, colds, rhinitis and other diseases that affect respiratory system. If such a problem appears, then do not despair, because usually loss of smell and taste quickly normalizes.

Sometimes the wrong dosage of instillation of nasal drops can also cause missing sense of smell or a disease of the central nervous system.

Many patients immediately ask the question: “How to restore the sense of smell?”, Then the otolaryngologist immediately advises to wait a few days for it to happen. recovery mucous membrane. If after this time the symptoms do not pass, then measures must be taken.

If a I lost my sense of smell after the flu, what to do? First of all, a week after the illness, you need to pass an ECG, biochemical analysis blood and urine. If all indicators are normal, but the sense of smell has not recovered, then the body may need more time to replenish its strength. Only a doctor can answer this question.

Diagnostics

If the patient does not smell or taste, then the doctor conducts special testing - olfactometry. It consists of several stages:

The first step is to inhale several odorous substances contained in special vials. The patient closes one nostril with his finger and begins to inhale. The task of the subject is to guess what kind of smell he was offered and how acutely he feels it. Standard use:

vinegar solution;
wine alcohol;
valerian;
ammonia.

These solutions are sorted according to the strength of the aroma. The less the patient smells, the more can be said about his disorders.

Important: you can perform this simple test yourself at home. If a no sense of smell, then this method of determination will immediately show violations.

The second stage is to recognize different foods and liquids:

Vodka, laundry soap, valerian.
Sugar and salt.
Onion juice, perfume composition, chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla.

If a person has not been able to recognize any product, this indicates obvious violations of the sense of smell and taste.

Treatment

What to do if the sense of smell is lost? Only an otolaryngologist can answer this question. Treatment is compiled after a detailed diagnosis and preparation clinical picture. Standard therapy consists in the appointment of local and general procedures.

Important: we restore mucous correctly. It is necessary to strictly observe the dosage of the instilled drugs.

As a treatment, sanation of the nasal passages, as well as inhalations, are prescribed. As nasal drops appoint:

Tizin;
Naphthyzin;
Nazivin;
Galazolin;
Nafazolin.

These drugs have vasoconstrictive properties that remove pastosity of the mucosa and greatly facilitate breathing. After that, you can rinse your nose sea water, saline solutions, protargol, collargol.

In severe cases, if loss of smell causes found,and treatment does not help, then it is necessary to carry out operational measures to eliminate adenoids, polyps, neoplasms. If there are anatomical disorders, then they can cause constant congestion and pastosity, and acute respiratory infections and various viral and infectious diseases only worsen the process of breathing.

When I lost my sense of smell, how to restore him with drugs? To prevent relapses, it is important to do immunocorrection. Assign the following means:

Imudon;
Likopid;
Kagocel;
Echinacea.

It is also good to drink vitamin complexes that will strengthen the immune system.

In rare cases, otolaryngologists resort to endonasal administration of drugs - novocaine blockade, hydrocortisone injection. Also write out tinctures of motherwort, valerian, bromine.

To again feel aromas, it is good to do physiotherapy procedures:

Darsonval apparatus;
electrophoresis with the addition of diphenhydramine;
laser therapy;
magnetotherapy;
steroid inhalation.

These procedures and medicines help to cure a runny nose and restore olfactory receptors.

Folk methods

Before the question why did you lose your sense of smell and taste, did not ask, because everyone knew how fast deal with this problem at home without using medicines and restore scent.

When instilling the nasal passages are used:

aloe juice;
horseradish juice;
garlic juice;
saline.

Solutions are made at a low concentration so as not to burn the mucous membrane of the nasal passages. Pulp is taken from plants and vegetables (or grated). Dilute in a ratio of 1:10 with water. Daily instill 1-2 drops into the nose. If the mucous membrane begins to burn or discomfort is felt, then it is better not to use this method.

There is a huge amount of preparation of solutions for inhalation, and do them as easy as shelling pears. In a short time will return taste and sense of smell. As preparation products for inhalation, you can use:

warm potatoes;
essential oils based on eucalyptus, fir, basil, juniper, lavender;
infusions and decoctions of chamomile, pine and birch buds, coltsfoot, calendula.

At home, you can use a nebulizer or breathe over a pot of health mixture. A person is seated at the table, tilts his head and breathes through his nose and exhales through his mouth. The duration of this procedure reaches about 5-7 minutes. The nebulizer is more efficient and is able to deliver the medicine directly to the site of inflammation.

Infusion from medicinal herbs it is prepared simply: 1 tablespoon of herbs is poured with 250-350 ml of boiling water and infused for an hour. Then the broth is decanted and poured into a container for inhalation.

Return taste quality will help essential oils, which are used as follows: pour 1 liter of water into a container, add 4-6 drops of oil and inhale. What inhalations can be prepared:

Lemon essential. In a glass of hot water, add lemon juice and a few drops of peach or lavender oil.
Camphor-menthol drops. It is done similarly with the first recipe. The duration of therapy is a week. Such drops or inhalations can quickly restore the sense of smell and taste.
In the complete absence of breathing, you can use inhalations with ammonia.
Strongly smelling substances also help well: onion juice, garlic, a weak solution of vinegar, turpentine, coffee, moonshine.
Celandine juice will not only soothe the mucous membrane, but also disinfect it.
As a means for inhalation, you can buy Asterisk balm.

After such effective procedures, the question why does the sense of smell disappear should be gone forever.

With the onset of the cold season the immune system a person is reorganized to a new mode of work. It is this period that is unfavorable. Colds deprive you of good health for a while. Many people ask: How to restore the sense of smell and taste with a cold? How to get well soon? All this depends on the state of the immune system and not only.

The entrance gates for infection in the human body are the oral and nasal cavities. They have a complex anatomical structure. Their surfaces are lined with a mucous membrane not by chance. It has a protective function. The structure of the mucous membrane in the nasal cavity helps to flush out the infection with the help of the secretion produced. For this, goblet cells are present in the mucous membrane. They contain a special substance mucinogen. By absorbing water from environment mucinogen is converted into mucin in cells. When accumulating too a large number the contents of these cells are destroyed. It comes out, washing away the infection that has got to the surface. Mucin has bactericidal properties. Often, with respiratory infections, a lot of mucus begins to stand out from the nose.

Depending on the severity of the process, the discharge has different colour and consistency. With a light flow, it has the consistency of water and is transparent. If the discharge becomes yellow-green and thicker, then this indicates an aggravation of the course of the disease.

In the oral cavity there are a large number salivary glands, on the tongue - a lot of taste buds. The glands produce saliva, which, due to the presence of enzymes, also has bactericidal properties.

All respiratory diseases spread by airborne droplets. When talking, saliva spreads up to 2 meters, when sneezing - 4-5 meters. This explains the high contagiousness respiratory infections. This is especially important for parents.

Why does the sense of smell disappear?

The reasons for the loss of smell are central and peripheral genesis.
In order to understand the mechanism of the appearance of the disease, we first consider the structure nerve fiber. It consists of a main tube and a myelin sheath:

This is what nerve fibers look like

The most significant reasons why the sense of smell disappears were considered. Now consider common diseases that can also lead to such consequences. The cause is established by a simple visit to an otolaryngologist, a therapist, or they cope on their own at home.

In all cases, one rule must be remembered: never self-medicate. If you are sick or have a pathological symptom, you must first visit a doctor and establish an accurate diagnosis.

Cold temporarily causes disturbance of the sense of smell. There is no need to be afraid in this case. Nothing terrible happened. The mechanism for loss of sensitivity is simple: a virus or bacteria enters the mucous membrane. These are living beings that excrete the products of their vital activity. It is to them that the cells of the epithelium of the mucous membrane react. In response, mucus begins to stand out. To flush out pathogenic microbes.

Treatment allows you to use the possibility of washing the nose with saline solutions:

Sea salt solution. You can do it yourself. Take some edible sea salt and dilute it in distilled water. You can also use boiled, filtered water;

Attention! Do not use raw tap water.

Furatsilina solution. It is an antiseptic, but contains salt. The taste analyzer recognizes a slightly salty taste;
Solution of sea salt with iodine. Its easy to make. Add a few drops of iodine to the sea salt solution. The liquid turns out to be a pale orange color;
Tree essential oils are good for this purpose. conifers: fir, pine, cedar. They are prepared in the same way as saline solutions. A few drops of oil are added to the water. The solution is instilled or used in inhalers.

Also use antiseptic solutions or drugs that are sold in pharmacies for this purpose:

Aquamaris;
Humer;
Dolphin and others.

These manipulations will not allow the infection to stay on the mucosa longer, multiply and release its toxins into the nasal cavity. After a few days of regular washing, a good result is achieved. Appeals to medical institution not required. This applies to adults and children.
But if the number of initially trapped microbes is large and the mucous membrane cannot quickly wash them off, they begin to multiply. To allocate already a larger amount of irritating substances of their vital activity. Goblet cells begin to intensively produce mucin, secrete it into nasal cavity. This process is accompanied by inflammation of the nasal mucosa. The released secret becomes more viscous, pus joins it. The color of the secreted mucus changes. It becomes yellow-green. It becomes more viscous and ceases to stand out from the nasal cavity on its own. It is also not possible to blow her nose. There is a blockage of the nasal passages with a viscous, yellow-green secret. The function of the nasal apparatus is impaired. The nose stops breathing. There is rhinitis. As a result, instead of nasal breathing, a person begins to use mouth breathing and gets cold even more. It turns out that the sense of smell and taste are gone.

Loss of smell can be caused by:

inflammatory diseases: acute respiratory diseases, acute respiratory viral infections, sinusitis, sinusitis (unilateral or bilateral), rhinitis of various etiologies;
immune system disorders: the presence of allergies of various etiologies;
impact on the human olfactory apparatus toxic, chemicals, drugs, chemotherapy in the presence of neoplasms;
damage to the olfactory apparatus by various radiations: electromagnetic, radiation ( radiation therapy with neoplasms);
violation anatomical structure(deviated septum), benign and malignant neoplasms;
the presence of polyps in the nasal cavity, adenoids.

Traditional treatment

Used to treat nasal infections etiological and pathogenetic treatment.
The first is aimed at eliminating the cause of the disease. Typically, this is viral infection, influenza, bacterial infection.
The second is purely symptomatic treatment. If there is a copious secretion of mucus from the nasal passages, for example, then use means to reduce its secretion.

More efficient always etiological treatment . With the correct diagnosis and the establishment of the pathogen, it is enough to buy one drug that will destroy the pathogen.

For example, you have been diagnosed with: acute herpetic rhinitis. It will be enough to buy any antiviral ointment:

oxolinic;
Viru-Merz serol;
Bonafton;
Tebrofen;
Acyclovir;
Zovirax;
Acigripine, etc.

After that, all residual effects, including copious discharge from the nose, will pass on their own. Rather, the body itself will be able to cope with them with the help of its own immune system.

Attention! We must not forget that our body has its own defense against all infections. It's called the immune system. If a person is often sick, then you need to pay attention to immunomodulatory and immunostimulating drugs.

Special means have been developed that increase the body's resistance to infections of the upper respiratory tract. They have both a strengthening and tonic effect on the body. After taking a course of such drugs, a person practically ceases to suffer from colds for a sufficiently long period. What is the most important thing in our country right now? Employers do not want to let employees go on sick leave. And in a sick state, going to work is also not very pleasant.

Immunostimulating drugs include:

Echinacea preparations;
Imudon;
Bisk;
Kagocel;
Likopid and others.

Often in the treatment of colds, physiotherapy is prescribed:

UV (ultraviolet radiation). This radiation has a purely bactericidal effect;
Magnetotherapy. It has anti-edematous, anti-inflammatory effect;
UHF (athermic dose). It also has a decongestant, anti-inflammatory effect;
Inhalations.

Now pharmacies sell a large number of inhalation devices that can be purchased for home use. How to treat a cold with these devices is clearly described in the instructions for them. You can also purchase a device for magnetotherapy. But you can use them only with the recommendation or prescription of a doctor.

How traditional medicine can help

In addition to the use of official drugs, the means used in traditional medicine have not lost their relevance. The difference between natural remedies and drugs purchased at a pharmacy is insignificant in terms of effectiveness. A number of advantages can be identified:

These funds are always affordable, they can be collected on your site, or in the nearest forest. And also buy cheap in the store;
These drugs cannot be overdosed. And if this happens, then the body will cope with it on its own without the need to call emergency care;
All these drugs can be decongestants, anti-inflammatory, antibiotics, antitumor agents at the same time. Which is impossible for drugs purchased at a pharmacy.

The most common antiviral and antimicrobial agent - it's garlic. Garlic is also an immunostimulating agent at the same time. It is good for both treatment and prevention of colds.

diseases. For treatment, peeled garlic cloves are used in the form of an aqueous infusion for instillation into the nose. For rinsing the mouth with stomatitis various genesis. For prevention, you just need to eat a clove of peeled garlic a day. But we must remember that garlic has an irritating effect on the walls of the stomach. Therefore, it is used in moderation. If the stomach began to hurt, then either mix it with salads, or replace it with another folk remedy.

Has excellent antibacterial activity St. John's wort. Make the usual infusion. It is used externally for rinsing and is also used internally. At the same time, it has an antidepressant effect. Helps a sick person sleep well.

Among indoor plants well known Golden mustache. There is no disease that this pet. Many books have been written about him healing properties. For the treatment of colds, an excellent infusion is prepared for rinsing the mouth and drops for instillation into the nose. To do this, take two leaves of the plant. Wash them under running water, chop them and put them in boiling water. There is one nuance. When preparing water for infusion, then after it boils, let it cool slightly. Boiling water can kill half of the healing principle in the plant. The leaves and stems of the plant are brewed.

well-known plant cinquefoil has a detoxifying effect. The plant itself is used for this purpose and prepared from it dosage forms. They buy capsules of Sabelnik marsh in a pharmacy. Manufactured by RIA Panda, St. Petersburg. With a good immune response of the body, taking even one capsule has an excellent decongestant effect and dries out the nasal cavity. And also helps to quickly cope with the disease.

Often doctors at appointments prescribe drug "Sinupret". It consists of a complex of herbs that are very effective even in chronic sluggish inflammatory processes of the upper respiratory tract.

Widely used known to everyone since Soviet times balm "Asterisk". They treat the outer surface of the wings of the nose. They treat the places of acupuncture points. It is important not to overdo it with its use. It has a strong irritant effect.

use turundas with mummy. It is mixed with any fat by heating. Then let cool and the ointment is ready. It is used locally.
Essential oils of coniferous trees widely used in the treatment of the nasal cavity. Well suited for this essential oil of fir, pine, cedar, eucalyptus. A few drops of essential oil are added to hot water and used for inhalation.

Why does the taste disappear?

Simultaneously with the onset of rhinitis, problems with the disappearance of taste appear. This causes panic. And the throwing around the doctor's offices begins in search of a solution to the problem: how to restore the taste?

In most cases, a person in such a situation still distinguishes the main types of taste: salty, sweet. But the differentiation of complex flavor combinations is difficult. This provokes unusual snacks. As a rule, oriental dishes, in which a large amount of seasonings are often used for cooking. There is a perverse perception of taste. When a delicious dish can seem completely tasteless. These symptoms often occur with high temperature.

Under certain circumstances, taste sensations may disappear altogether. For example, when treating a severe cold, the attending physician prescribes antibiotics by injection. Now they use more complex drugs and more toxic ones. In case of overdose, taste problems occur.

In these cases, there is no need to panic. Should be canceled possible drug, after the injection of which a complication was caused. When the effect of the drug wears off, the body can restore the taste sensations on its own. Do not take this medicine again in this case. Complex problems are easily solved.

How to quickly restore the sense of smell and taste?

The previous sections describe situations of loss of smell and taste. The rules in such cases are the simplest:

no need to panic;
you can not self-medicate;
find out the cause of such symptoms;
contact a medical institution for advice from a specialist.

If the sense of smell and taste have disappeared without visible reasons, you need to contact medical institution to exclude serious pathologies of the brain.

Highly interesting video(translated from English) will tell you why the sense of smell and taste disappear.

In the human body, all the senses are equally important - smell, touch, taste perception. If one ceases to act correctly, then the person loses the possibility of a full-fledged life activity, constantly complains of discomfort. common cold can lead to a loss of smell, therefore people facing similar situations need to know how to do the right thing, how to restore the sense of smell with a runny nose.

You can fix the problem quite simply. It is enough to visit a specialist in a timely manner, strictly following the rules established by him. To normalize sensitivity, you first need to understand what type of disease is developing. This will allow the doctor to choose a method of correction, necessary drugs. Loss of sensitivity of the receptors of the nasal cavity is of two types:

Hyposmia is a deterioration in the ability to perceive odors, which occurs under the influence of colds, inflammation of the nasal mucosa, due to allergies or polyps.
Anosmia is a complete loss of the sense of smell, provoked by rhinitis. He disappears under the influence inflammatory process nasal mucosa after SARS, after infection of the upper part of the respiratory tract, under the influence of the growth of polyps, tumors. This sometimes happens due to taking some antibacterial drugs, which greatly affect the sense of smell.

due to accumulation in the upper respiratory tract a large amount of mucus, a person may complain that the sense of smell has disappeared with a runny nose. Snot clogs the sinuses, and over time becomes very thick. Anosmia can be temporary or chronic.

Also, the violation can be unilateral or bilateral, that is, it occurs during the perception of specific aromas. Loss of odor perception can also be accompanied by severe malaise, fever. For an accurate diagnosis, the causes of the violation must be established.

Causes of loss of smell, symptoms of this condition

The main reason that provokes a deterioration in the perception of odors is swelling and inflammation of the mucous membrane in the nose. It becomes inflamed during a cold, when infected with viruses, with allergies, runny nose, sinusitis and other diseases of the nose, in which there is a malfunction of the mucosa.

Also, failure to follow the instructions for nasal products leads to a loss of smell.

As a rule, if the sense of smell worsens or disappears completely under the influence of rhinitis, then it returns at the stage of recovery from the disease. It is important not to forget that extra nerves, panic only slow down the process of returning sensitivity. If the scent still does not return, additional diagnostics are required in a medical institution.

If the nose is not blocked, but the person does not smell, then a lot of mucus has most likely accumulated in the cavity. At the same time, a person's sleep is disturbed, he becomes too irritable.

After rhinitis, a full sense of smell returns after about a week. But under adverse conditions of influence on the body, the loss can become chronic - this will be a consequence of the transferred pathology.

How to return

So, what to do if the sense of smell is lost with a cold. Loss of sensation in the olfactory receptors is usually a natural symptom of the common cold. Full normalization occurs as you recover. With the development of rhinitis, the first question is how to restore the sense of smell. To stop infectious rhinitis, it is required to destroy the pathogenic microorganisms that provoked it. Only a doctor can give a full answer to the question of what to do if the nose does not smell. different forms disorders are treated with different drugs:

Viral rhinitis - develops in 50-60% of cases, symptomatic therapy is carried out. It consists in a warm, plentiful drink, infusions with saline. Also, the doctor may prescribe antiviral treatment with Remantadin or Amiksin and others.
Bacterial rhinitis - requires the use of penicillins, macrolides or cephalosporins.
Allergic rhinitis - prescribed antihistamines- Zyrtec, Suprastin, Claritin.

Vasoconstrictor drops in the nose do not have therapeutic effect, they only help temporarily stop congestion, swelling. These drops provoke rapid addiction and are characterized by a large list side effects. Doctors allow them to be used a maximum of 3 times a day and for 5 days, no longer.

Nose cleansing

To quickly restore the work of receptors, to answer the question of how to restore the sense of smell in case of a cold, washing with saline solutions will help. The easiest recipe is to dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm boiled water. Pharmacies sell special washing products - Aqualor, Aquamaris, etc.

The main thing is to follow the algorithm of their implementation for the efficiency of washing:

Tilt your head to the side.
Pour the solution into the upper nostril.
The fluid will flow out of the lower nostril on its own - no effort is required for this.
Now the same is done on the other side.

The algorithm is quite simple, the discomfort from the procedure itself will cease to be felt after a few times. Regular cleaning of the nose helps to remove pathogens from the surface of the mucosa, strengthen local immunity, restore the overall vitality of the body, restore the sensations of smells and tastes. Washing has no contraindications, they are allowed for children and pregnant women.

There are special methods of how to restore the sense of smell, which will help the patient to quickly restore health after SARS, rhinitis. These include:

home inhalation. classic recipe, which has helped many and has proven itself over many years of implementation, are inhalations over boiled potatoes. Instead of potatoes, you can use decoctions of medicinal herbs or water with the addition of essential oils provided there is no allergic reaction to them.
Cotton swabs soaked in specially prepared solutions are a good remedy. It can be liquid honey, in half with water, mummy with sunflower oil, butter with.
Balm Asterisk - they should smear the wings of the nose, but not the mucous membrane.
Home drops are a great method traditional medicine. The following composition is considered the most effective: one part of menthol oil, the same amount of camphor oil. Bury three times a day, 2 drops in the nostril.
The method of shock therapy is the alternate inhalation of pungent odors. These can be menthol, coniferous substances, coffee, Vishnevsky ointment, turpentine and other intense pronounced aromas.

Breathing relief rules

The simplest, but no less effective ways to facilitate breathing through the nose and how to return the sense of smell and taste with a runny nose are:

Taking a hot shower at night. The steam clears the nasal passages from frozen mucus, it becomes easier to breathe, and health improves. The main thing is to dress warmly after steaming, especially if the house is cool.
Maintaining humidity at around 60-65%. This can be achieved with the help of modern devices - humidifiers.
Plentiful drink - it should be warm, tea with lemon or jam is good, provided there is no temperature, you can also include lean chicken broth in the diet.

Preventive measures

Despite the gradual process of recovery of sensitivity after illness, it should not be brought to a problem. Prevention plays a crucial role, and therefore every conscious citizen who monitors his own health should know about its measures. Ways to prevent loss of sensitivity to odors include:

Prevention of prolonged hypothermia.
Already the first symptoms of catarrhal pathologies must be treated with plenty of fluids and washings of the nasal cavity.
Before starting treatment, you need to make sure that there is no hypersensitivity to the selected drugs.
Try not to contact people with colds, do not visit mass gatherings of people during seasonal outbreaks of the disease.
Conduct timely treatment colds and other pathologies accompanied by a runny nose, as well as any form of exacerbation of allergies.

When a person already feels the first symptoms of damage to the body with a cold, you need to take timely action. So, the pathology will not progress. For example, when the usual rich aromas lose their strength, rhinitis makes it difficult to sleep at night - this is an occasion to think about the need to organize therapy and visit a doctor. If the loss of smell has already occurred, you should urgently go to the otolaryngologist, who will definitely diagnose and prescribe effective therapy.

The sense of smell is one of the main sense organs that every person is endowed with. It is noteworthy that we begin to recognize odors immediately after birth, but with age this sensation gradually dulls and this is considered a physiological norm. But a sharp loss of this feeling can unsettle for a long time. A person who has lost his sense of smell becomes nervous, irritable and angry. And this is not surprising, because the dysfunction of the sense organs leads to a malfunction in the work of other organs and systems of our body, including the brain and central nervous system.

In this article, we will figure out what to do if the sense of smell is gone, how to restore it at home and prevent it from happening again.

Weakening of the sense of smell

Having lost the ability to recognize smells, a person immediately begins to wonder why the sense of smell has disappeared. The reasons for this are as follows:

lesions of the nasal mucosa;
Infectious and inflammatory processes in the nasal sinuses and passages;
Allergy.

If a lack of smell is recorded, the reasons for this are somehow related to the work of the nose. Since it is he who is the main organ that provides a person with this feeling. And swelling of the mucous membrane can cause its dysfunction. Quite often, the missing sense of smell indicates the imminent onset of rhinitis, and sometimes the fact that the scent has disappeared is already detected at the stage of recovery. Below we will look at options for how to return the sense of smell folk remedies, ways to restore the scent and the procedure for checking its sharpness.

Types of loss of smell

Smell impairment can be of two types:

Hyposmia, characterized by a decrease in scent;
Anosmia in which the sense of smell is completely absent.

These two types of disorders significantly reduce the quality of life. They do not allow a normal perception of the world and negatively affect nervous system. That is why it is necessary to restore this lost function as soon as possible. To do this, there are several methods and methods, both traditional and non-traditional, including folk, medicine.

Ways to restore the sense of smell

If the sense of smell is lost after a cold, the attending physician will tell you what to do best. Most likely, he will appoint local preparations, which are traditional vasoconstrictors, such as, and others. But they should not be abused.

Long-term use of vasoconstrictors threatens with the opposite effect. They can provoke even more swelling of the mucosa, which will delay the recovery of the scent and cause increased irritability of the patient.

Inhalation with a nebulizer

It is possible to take measures to return the full functionality of the nose even before recovery. Any practitioner can tell how to restore taste and smell during a cold. You can do it at home using steam baths or wet inhalations with a nebulizer. They are designed to soften the mucus in the nasal passages and in deeper sections, which will contribute to its speedy removal to the outside.

You can use both ordinary water vapor and steam from a decoction of medicinal herbs. It is necessary to carry out such procedures three times a day, on average, for 20 minutes. You need to inhale the healing steam through your nose, and exhale through your mouth. Such a method will be effective, both at the very beginning of a cold, and during its height.

Quite often, when asked what to do if the sense of smell and taste are gone, our mothers and grandmothers recommend turning to a traditional medicine guide, which offers a number of recipes to restore this feeling.

It should be noted that many "grandmother's" methods aimed at returning the sense of smell are capable of simultaneously relieving symptoms. common disease, which caused a similar violation of the sensitivity of the nose. It is best if, before starting to use them, you get a competent consultation from a doctor who will be well aware of all the objective reasons for the loss of smell.. And treatment after a cold, and rehabilitation recovery after surgical intervention into the nasal cavity suggest a complete restoration of the functionality of the nose and its olfactory receptors.

Essential oils

Let's return to traditional medicine. The first thing that is proposed to restore the olfactory function is inhalation. Below we give some popular recipes that can be used even after the flu:

Inhalation of basil oil applied to a tissue;
Steam inhalation with eucalyptus essential oil;
Inhalation with an aqueous solution of lemon juice with lavender and mint oil.

In addition to inhalations, to restore the scent, you can use the instillation of the nose with a mixture of camphor and menthol oils. And, of course, popular in our country, inhalation of boiled potato steam, with which we usually treat all types of ENT diseases. In case of loss of smell, this "grandmother's" method works great.

Folk ways

Warming up the nose

Other folk methods for restoring the lost scent will be:

Warming up the nasal areas with a blue lamp;
Periodic tension and weakening of the mimic muscles of the nose;
Washing the nasal passages with saline;
Attaching metal coins smeared with honey to the bridge of the nose;
Inhalation of a mixture of powdered medicinal herbs - lily of the valley, chamomile, mint and cumin;
Regular inhalation of a pungent odor;
Introduction into the nasal passages of therapeutic turundas dipped in mint oil mixed with alcohol tincture propolis;
Ingestion of sage decoction, which is effective medicine in many diseases of the ENT organs.

With the regular use of at least a few of the above folk methods, the effect will be obvious. With their help, you can regain your sense of smell even a few years after its loss.

How to test your sense of smell

Sense of smell test

If you find that you have no sense of smell and taste, we have already told what to do in the first place. Now it remains only to act and try to return the lost scent as quickly as possible. And after the olfactory receptors are slightly restored, it is recommended to check their work. And you can do it at home. For this, it will be necessary to a special test, the essence of which will be to distinguish between the nose of a variety of odors.

This test will consist of several stages, and at each of them the task will become more and more complicated. So, at the first stage you will need to distinguish the smells of three different items, for example, laundry soap, alcohol and drops of valerian. At the second stage the task can be complicated and offered to distinguish between sugar and salt by smell. After that, more complex smells will be subject to recognition - burnt matches, chocolate, coffee beans, etc.

People with a healthy sense of smell pass a similar test without problems. But if in the process of passing it you have difficulties or you are mistaken in recognizing the aroma, we recommend that you urgently visit a doctor. The sooner a decrease in scent is detected, the easier it will be to restore it later.

Conclusion

Many mistakenly believe that the sense of smell is not such an important sense as, for example, sight and hearing. But this is far from true. For the harmonious development of the personality and the state of health, it is extremely important that all the sense organs that a person has are in working order. Otherwise, there is a high probability of developing neurosis, psychosis, apathy and depression. Therefore, if you find yourself having problems with your sense of smell, they need to be addressed as soon as possible.

Such a problem as the sense of smell disappeared after a runny nose is very relevant today and is encountered in practice more and more often. Often this question is asked by people who have had a cold and cannot fully recover. Loss of smell is an unpleasant feeling that may indicate the development of rhinitis. But as practice shows, such a change in the body can be quickly dealt with if all the recommendations of a specialist are followed. But in this case, self-medication is not recommended.

For a person, the natural state is when he can distinguish and smell odors, otherwise he experiences discomfort.

Violation of the sense of smell is due to the fact that the norm has gone beyond due to the development of pathology. It is worth noting that if you have ceased to feel at least one smell, then some kind of problem develops in your body, which you need to notice in time and try to eliminate it.

What are the disorders with a cold

In order to restore your sense of smell, you first need to identify what kind of violation you have. And only after that you can begin to be treated. To date, two types of disorders are known: this is, first of all, anosmia, when the sense of smell is completely lost during a runny nose, and hyposmia, when the ability to smell smells is only reduced.

However, these are two serious illness, which can cause a lot of trouble and discomfort in the body. After all, a person, not feeling any smells, cannot fully live and perceive the world as it is.

The most important thing when you lose your sense of smell is not to panic and take the whole situation calmly and try to find the reason why this problem arose. If the loss of smell is associated with a disease, then no measures need to be taken, when the disease passes, everything will return to its place.

In order to regain the ability to smell, you need to do inhalations with menthol and lemon.

Often, after five procedures, a person begins to smell again. But if you are sure that your disease is not associated with a cold, then you need to contact a neurologist so that the doctor can computed tomography brain, which will show why the sense of smell was lost.

Causes of loss of smell

A runny nose is a disease when a person does not smell, it is often accompanied by malaise, fever. The main reason that a person's sense of smell disappears is that the nasal mucosa swells. And if the wrong diagnosis is made, then the effectiveness of the fight against this disease can be minimized.

When a person loses his sense of smell during a runny nose, the following factors may be the cause of this phenomenon:

colds, type ORZ;
chronic diseases associated with the nasal mucosa;
viral infections, such as SARS or a simple flu;
allergic reactions;
inflammatory processes in the sinuses of the nose.

It can be noted that the loss of the common cold often accompanies the onset of rhinitis. But such a development of the disease is not always observed. And in order to make a correct diagnosis, you need to consult a doctor. But if the sense of smell disappears after a cold, then it is restored in a maximum of a week. If within seven days it has not returned, then this indicates a more serious illness.

The abyss of the ability to smell can also be due to age. In older people, the sense of smell worsens. But there are reasons for this, for example, such a phenomenon can be observed due to the fact that taste perception is deteriorating. To prevent this from happening, people are advised to eat as many odorous foods as possible, such as ginger, dill, loop, cinnamon, vinegar, garlic, pepper, lemon.

How can you restore your sense of smell

In order to restore the sense of smell, you need to carry out several simple procedures. First you need to soften the mucus using steam baths. Also, thanks to this procedure, you can clear the lungs and bronchi. It is necessary to carry out this procedure no more than three times a day for 20 minutes.

If you have dry skin, then before the procedure it is necessary to lubricate the skin with a cream. In order for the steam to become more effective, herbs must be added to it. You need to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Half an hour after the procedure, you need to take a shower, just do not wet your head. After a shower, you need to stretch the body in order to improve blood circulation.

In order for a person to feel all the smells again, it is necessary to carry out several procedures for restoring the function of the mucosa, and only a doctor can do this. You can restore the sense of smell both with the help of drugs and with the help of traditional medicine, i.e. grandmother's recipes.

But it is worth remembering that the treatment should be prescribed by a doctor, often it consists of the following drugs:

naphazoline;
naphthyzine;
reserpine.

Of course, other drugs can be prescribed, it all depends on the disease and individual features patient. All of the above drugs are vasoconstrictors that have an effective effect on the common cold. But if you use these drugs too often, then the runny nose can only intensify, as there will be swelling of the mucous membrane.

When the sense of smell is gone, you need to use traditional medicine in order to return it. Folk methods good in that they cannot harm the human body, which cannot be said about drugs. Very often, with the help of grandmother's advice, people managed to recover much faster than after using drugs.

One of the common ways to treat a cold is inhalation. Inhalations are carried out thanks to oils and solutions that are based on boiling water and natural ingredients. Dry steam inhalation from boiled potatoes is very effective and common. Probably, for many people, not the best childhood memories are associated with this procedure.

There are also several recipes with which you can make nasal drops at home. This will require camphor and menthol oils in equal proportions. In each nasal passage you need to drip three drops three times a day.

Great test to test your sense of smell

Often people think that they have lost their sense of smell, but in fact this is not always the case. That is why if you cannot understand whether you have lost your sense of smell or not, you need to conduct a test, which will be discussed below. You need to take turns sniffing items such as alcohol, valerian and soap. If you can distinguish all smells well, then everything is in order with your sense of smell.

But that's not all, in the next step of this test, you need to try to distinguish between the smell of sugar and salt. When this test is over, it's time to move on to the next one. It is necessary to put perfume, bow, instant coffee, chocolate, extinguished match and solvent. Then you need to close your eyes and ask someone to give you objects one by one. If you were able to recognize each of the smells without errors, then everything is in order with your sense of smell.

If you did not pass any of the levels of this test, then for sure you are not all right with your sense of smell and you need to consult a doctor.

I lost my sense of smell due to a cold, please tell me how to get it back?

Answers:

Sergey

Simple prevention - frequent ventilation of the apartment, the use of multivitamins, bee products (honey, propolis, perga, pollen), garlic, onions, lemons for food, taking dietary supplements, frequent walks in the fresh air, general hardening - and you and your family will be under reliable protection, believe me - tested on your family and all your relatives and friends.
For sore throat - just gargle with a solution - in a glass of warm boiled water - 1 teaspoon of salt and soda, and 1 teaspoon of propolis or calendula tincture (which is at home). Rinse often - 5-8 times a day.
With a runny nose - Balm "Revival" - anoint their nasal passages, dilute red beet juice 1: 2 with warm boiled water and drip 3-5 drops into each nostril, you can make garlic oil - crush 2-3 cloves of garlic, pour them unrefined sunflower oil and let stand in a closed bowl for at least 15-20 minutes, then drain this oil and instill it in the nose - 1-2 drops in each nostril 2-4 times a day. There are many more such recipes - but here I have brought the most effective and tested ones both on myself and on my loved ones.

Linda

That's when the runny nose will pass, and the sense of smell will return by itself. Is this the first time this has happened to you? ! I have with every cold

"Orgy"

do inhalations with onions, it helped me

Faith

Urgently to the doctor!! ! Forgot about the flu?

Alexander

This is a temporary phenomenon. Restore immunity and everything will pass.

Okcana

get treated) and everything will return) for many so

Maria Level

it will pass for me it was like that ... I didn’t even feel the smell of acetone ... it turns out to be so cool, but strange)) but everything returned later

Ludmila Falko

wash your nose!

How to get your sense of smell back when you have a cold?

How to restore the sense of smell with a cold? This question is asked by many people who have had acute respiratory viral diseases. Probably every person has experienced such a state throughout his life. The reasons for this phenomenon may be different. It should be noted that there are two forms of loss of smell: congenital, practically incurable, and acquired - a consequence of injuries, tumors, which can be eliminated, but will require long-term treatment. The third form is temporary. Just it occurs due to infection in the body and is manifested by the reaction of the nasal mucosa - abundant secretion. Therefore, the receptors become less susceptible, the sense of smell is dulled.

You can restore your sense of smell in many ways: doctors recommend the use of drugs, healers - recipes for traditional medicine. But in both cases, you should definitely consult a doctor, since some components of medications and "home remedies" can cause severe allergies. Therefore, in order not to cause even more harm to the body, consultation with a specialist is necessary.

Medical treatment for loss of smell

If the sense of smell disappeared after the flu, SARS, then for treatment you will need certain medicines. If more serious problems have become the cause of the ailment, then in no case should you self-medicate. It is better to visit the hospital and ask the doctor to prescribe medications and dosage for therapy.

To restore the sense of smell, which has disappeared temporarily, you can use the following drugs:

"Naphthyzin";
"Nafazolin";
"Reserpine";
"Aqua Maris";
"Euphorbium";
"Furacilin".

The first three are vasoconstrictor, which allows you to reduce the secretion, thereby the runny nose will pass faster, and the sense of smell will be restored. But these medications develop rapid addiction, so after 5 days their use should be stopped.

Other drugs are more gentle, but they are much more expensive. But the effect of them is really very good. The runny nose disappears in a matter of days and the sense of smell is immediately restored.

The main task of drugs is to remove swelling in the nasal cavity and reduce secretion, then the sense of smell will quickly recover.

The drug "Aqua Maris" is known to almost everyone. It can be used regardless of age. It washes the sinuses well, promotes the destruction of viruses and bacteria that have entered the nasal mucosa and caused irritation. Also, this tool can be used as a prophylactic during the "quarantine period", that is, in autumn and spring. It is enough to spray it into the nose 2 times a day and not worry that a runny nose will appear and the sense of smell will disappear.

How to restore the sense of smell after a cold with the help of folk remedies?

All folk recipes, of course, are effective, but in order to double the effect, it is better to use them in parallel with drug treatment. Then the sense of smell will return much faster.

Healers say that excellent drops can be made from the simplest improvised means that will help restore the sense of smell to a person who has had an infectious disease.

Camphor and menthol essential oil in equal amounts. The mixture should be instilled into each nostril 2 drops 4 times a day. From essential oils, you can use tea tree, sea buckthorn.

Chamomile is the most famous antioxidant in the plant world. Chamomile decoction combined with mint and sage gives a good result. The runny nose quickly disappears, the sense of smell returns after 12 hours of using the drops. The composition is instilled into the nostrils 7-8 times a day.

When the sense of smell disappears, salted water, an analogue of the Aqua Maris preparation, helps well. Only such a solution prepared at home will cost much cheaper. To do this, you need 150 ml of water at room temperature and 1 tsp. salt, it is better if it is with iodine. The remedy does not need to be instilled, salt water must be inhaled so that it reaches the larynx. Perform the procedure very carefully, without haste, so as not to choke on the composition. Perform manipulation 5-6 times a day. You can not make too salty solution, it can burn the mucous membrane and then the sense of smell will have to be restored by more radical methods.

One of the plants that are in almost every home is aloe. This is truly a storehouse of vitamins. You can return the sense of smell with the help of aloe juice. To do this, the leaves of a three-year-old and older plant must be cut, put for 5 hours in a cold place (freezer), then crushed and squeezed out the juice. Instill the drug into the nose 4 times a day for 3 days. Already on the second day the result will be visible.

Lemon and cyclamen juices are mixed in equal amounts. The composition is drawn into the nostrils.

Known for its miraculous properties, propolis will also help you quickly get rid of a runny nose and restore your sense of smell. It must be mixed with vegetable and butter in a ratio of 1:3:3. All components are thoroughly mixed, the composition is applied to cotton swabs, which are inserted into the nostrils for 30 minutes in the morning and evening.

A decoction of beet leaves with the addition of honey will help relieve swelling, reduce secretion and restore the sense of smell in case of a cold. Casting (150 g) should be washed, pour 300 ml of water, simmer for 3 minutes. After the solution has cooled, add 1 tbsp. l. honey. In no case should honey be added to hot mixtures, while it begins to release poison. The composition should be instilled into the nose 5-6 times a day, drop by drop into each nostril.

According to the healers, it helps a lot with a runny nose and is a great way to restore the smell of celandine juice. But in this case, you should be very careful, because if it gets on the mucous membrane, concentrated juice can cause a burn. Therefore, it should only be used diluted with distilled water in the ratio of 1 drop of juice per 1 tsp. water. Drip this composition should be no more than 3 times a day.

Cabbage juice has anti-inflammatory and regenerating properties.

Many people use onion juice at home. But here, too, precautions must be taken. It is the wrong dosage that often leads to burns. Onion juice is diluted with water in the ratio of 1 drop per 1 tbsp. l. water.

The easiest way to deal with the condition when the sense of smell is gone is a boiled egg. They need to warm the nasal sinuses through a handkerchief for 7 minutes 5-7 times a day.

Aroma lamps will help restore the sense of smell with a runny nose

Essential oils restore the work of receptors, so their use in combination with an aroma lamp also gives a good result both in the treatment of the common cold and in restoring the sense of smell. Due to the rapid evaporation and inhalation of vapors, the sense of smell appears already on the second day.

For aroma lamps, you can use eucalyptus, menthol oil. But such procedures can be carried out only if a person does not have allergic reaction for oil components. Therefore, before using these funds, consultation with a doctor is required.

What other means can be used to restore the sense of smell?

As mentioned above, the main task of any procedure is to reduce swelling and secretion. In this case, warming up with a table lamp helps a lot. If ultraviolet is present, the effect is achieved twice as fast. To perform the procedure, you need to sit at a distance of 25 cm from the lamp, direct the light to the nose area, while eyes should be closed. It is necessary to carry out the procedure at least 3 times a day for 20-30 minutes. After three days of manipulation, the sense of smell will return.

A good remedy not only to restore the sense of smell in case of a cold, but also to get rid of a cold - inhalation. For them, you can use a decoction of potatoes, sage, chamomile.

Loss of smell with a runny nose is a fairly common phenomenon that can be eliminated in a matter of days. The main thing is the regularity of the procedures and the obligatory consultation with a specialist.

The ability of the nose to perceive various odors is explained by the presence of olfactory receptors in it, which transmit all information to the brain. But frequent colds can reduce the sense of smell or lead to it. total absence- anosmia. And this happens due to the accumulation of a large amount of mucus in the upper respiratory tract, which, filling the sinuses, becomes thick over time and turns into a “stone”.

In most cases, the accumulation of mucus proceeds imperceptibly, since it does not have characteristic features. And besides due to frequent colds, it is also formed from not proper nutrition when the diet is dominated by thermally processed and starchy foods. Therefore, the restoration of smell, start with the correction of the daily menu, and for the period of treatment, switch to vegetarian food or eat lean meat. Exclude from the diet all types of bakery and confectionery products, sugar, fatty and fried foods. Limit your consumption of potatoes and milk.

To successfully restore the sense of smell, follow a certain sequence. First, use steam baths to soften the mucus. In addition to this purpose, this procedure is useful for cleansing the bronchi and lungs, as well as the pores on the skin of the face. Spend it no more than three times for 15-20 minutes. For dry skin, before a steam bath, lubricate your face with cream or vegetable oil. To make the steam more effective, use herbs - sage, mint, nettle, or a spoonful of ground dill. Cover your head with a towel over the steam bath. Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth. After 15-20 minutes, take a warm shower, but do not wet your head. And after a shower, to increase blood circulation, stretch the body (several circular motions arms, legs, torso and head.

To further dissolve the mucus, prepare 150 g of horseradish and the juice of 2-3 lemons. When crushed and mixed, take half a teaspoon 2 times a day on an empty stomach. For nasal drops, prepare a mixture of mint, snuff, and eucalyptus. Pour the collection into a liter jar (¼ of its volume), pour olive oil so that it covers the herbs and let it brew until a homogeneous mass is formed. In the morning and evening, instill 20 drops in each nostril, after which do not lower your head for several minutes. Store the mixture in a dark place.

After thinning the mucus, proceed to remove it from the nose. To do this, use saline solution or a decoction of pine needles. For washing, prepare half a liter of liquid for each nostril and, using a syringe or a special kettle, rinse the nose by introducing a solution into it. For faster cleansing of the nose from mucus, it is better to draw in the solution through the nose, alternately each nostril (while closing the opposite one) and spit it out through the mouth.

Clearing the nose of mucus can be carried out without diluting it - just by washing. But it will take a little more time. To prevent the accumulation of mucus every morning and evening, after brushing your teeth, gargle several times your throat (tonsils). This method is no less effective in cleansing the nasopharynx. Moreover, rinsing activates brain activity, which is important at the beginning of the working day. Continue with proper nutrition. Limit your consumption of mucus-forming foods such as milk, potatoes, bread, and sugar.

How to restore the taste and smell that was lost due to a cold?

Answers:

Galatea

When you are cured, beetroot juice will help you to return the hug and taste, 3 times a day, 3 drops in each nostril. Checked more than once.

Ekaterina Zvereva

This is sinusitis. Pay attention to this.

Chamomile Chamomile

most likely it is really sinusitis and here you can’t do without antibiotics, start a course of treatment and in a couple of days your sense of smell and taste will return to you

MediKALL™

It helped me when I thoroughly cleared my nose, though for a while, but seriously, it will return only after recovery ...

Schwarze Blut

Until you recover, you will not return. The only thing I can advise with certainty is to use fewer vasoconstrictor drops in the nose, especially the widespread Galazolin and similar strong drops. They lose a lot of their sense of smell.

Simpson

It takes time and everything will be restored)))

Dima Tarov

Here's how to bring back the smell and taste of a runny nose with garlic: Chop four cloves of garlic and add to a cup of boiling water. Boil for two minutes, add a pinch of salt and drink the mixture while it is hot. Drink it twice a day and your senses of smell and taste will be restored in no time.