Getting back lost sense of smell?

Question

I lost my sense of smell COMPLETELY a few years back. I have sinus problems and have gone for an operation, something along the lines of a deviated septum. This didn't help. It sort of releaved the congestion, but absolutely no sense of smell. I don't do drugs (especially the nasal variety) and do everything else in moderation. I am thinking of going the homeopathic route..

Answer 1

Don't waste yr money. I've yr same problem since abt. 12 years ago. I've been operated 3 times to my nose in this meanwhile but I can't smell anything (nor the truffles....!!).
I know it's a pain in the a.ss since also the taste of eating has almost gone (I can just taste if it's too salted or not,and if to spicy or not but sometimes I've difficulties to identify meat from fish).
I know other people having had our same problem and none has recovered. I've had a kind of flash-back after my first operation of 5 years ago (for my double deviated sectum) but the doc told me immediately that it should have again disappeared in a few days and that was.I know I'm not at all 'encouraging' but I feel that's no use to spend money for nothing. I don't know how old you're (I'm now 62 and I was 50 when it started with me) but I guess we must stand in this bad feeling until we die.

Answer 2

Here's some stuff I pulled for you from wikipedia:
Anosmia is the lack of olfaction, or a loss of the ability to smell. It can be either temporary or permanent. Anosmia can be diagnosed by doctors by using scratch-n-sniff odor tests or by using commonly available odors such as coffee, lemon, and cinnamon. Anosmia can also be caused by nasal polyps. These polyps are found in people with allergies, histories on sinusitis & family history. It should be emphasized that there are no more than 6 distinctive tastes: salty, sour, sweet, bitter, umami and possibly fatty acids. The 10,000 different scents which humans usually recognize as 'tastes' are often actually 'flavor', which many people who can smell confuse with taste.
Congenital anosmics often have a much more developed sense of taste than those who could smell at some point in their lives, and can enjoy food just as much as someone who could smell.
While termed as a disability, anosmia is often viewed in the medical field as a trivial problem. This is not always the case - esthesioneuroblastoma is a very rare cancerous tumor originating in or near the olfactory nerve. Loss of smell can also be dangerous because it hinders the detection of gas leaks, fire, body odor, and spoiled food. Loss of olfaction may lead to the loss of libido, even to the point of impotency, which often preoccupies younger anosmic men. a permanent loss of smell may be caused by death of olfactory receptor neurons in the nose, or by brain injury in which there is damage to the olfactory nerve or damage to brain areas that process smell (see olfactory system). Anosmia may very occasionally be an early sign of degenerative brain diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Another specific cause of permanent loss could be from damage to olfactory receptor neurons due to use of certain types of nasal spray, i.e. those that cause vasoconstriction of the nasal microcirculation.

I hope this is "temporary" for you, otherwise it will be a disability you could live with by making adjustments to your life.

Answer 3

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