Your sense of smell and taste work together. Losing your sense of smell—due to age, a health condition, or medication—can significantly impact your quality of life. It affects your ability to enjoy food, smell your favorite aromas, and detect environmental hazards. People with a long-term loss of smell may lose interest in eating, resulting in excessive weight loss and even depression.
What causes smell and taste disturbances?
Virtually everyone experiences a loss of taste when their noses are congested due to upper respiratory infections such as a cold, flu, or COVID-19. Allergies can also affect your sense of smell. When you can’t smell food and drinks, it affects their taste. Respiratory-related infections are the most common causes of smell and taste disturbances.
Other causes include:
Sinus conditions: Chronic sinusitis, nasal polyps, tumors in the nose and/or sinuses, and other causes of nasal obstructions that impede airflow can affect your sense of smell and taste. One of our specialists at Valley ENT can diagnose the condition and recommend the appropriate treatment.
Other non-otolaryngologic causes include traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, neurological disorders, and certain medications.
An ENT doctor spends 4 years at college, 4 years at medical school, and then 5 to 7 years after that in a residency program specializing in otolaryngology — head and neck surgery. Our board-certified ENTs pass written and oral exams and participate in continuous education to maintain their certification. When you visit one of our Arizona locations, you can trust you're seeing one of the most qualified specialists in the region and that your care will be second to none.
Diagnosing Smell and Taste Disturbances
You should see an ENT specialist if you’ve lost your sense of smell and taste for over a week or two and don’t have a cold or other upper respiratory infection. A complete loss of smell (called anosmia) is rare. Hyposmia—involving a partial loss of smell—is more common. In either case, the condition may be temporary or permanent. Some loss of smell and taste is also natural with aging, especially after age 60. Because much of your sense of taste actually comes from your sense of smell, loss of smell usually affects your ability to taste, as well.
Besides taking a thorough medical history and conducting a physical exam, an ENT specialist will often perform a nasal endoscopy to look for sources of obstruction to the nerves responsible for smell. Imaging studies, including CT scans and MRIs, can detect structural abnormalities.
Treating a Loss of Smell and Taste
Treating the underlying cause of your loss of smell is often the first step. For example, managing chronic conditions like sinusitis or allergies can help restore normal function.
Other treatments include:
Medications: Corticosteroids can reduce inflammation in the nasal passages, improving airflow and smell. Your physician may also prescribe antihistamines and decongestants to alleviate symptoms.
Lifestyle changes: Maintaining good oral hygiene, quitting smoking, and using aromatic herbs and spices in cooking can improve your sense of smell and taste.
Surgery: Nasal obstructions like polyps or a deviated septum may require surgical removal. Procedures such as endoscopic sinus surgery can help clear the nasal passages and restore the sense of smell.
If your sense of smell and taste remains affected, counseling can provide support and coping strategies.
Being prepared will help you get the most out of your appointment. Please bring a list of medications you're currently taking and any pertinent test results—such as labs or imaging—to your appointment. Additionally, let your provider know of any drug allergies or medical conditions you have or for which you are being treated and if you've had any prior surgical procedures.
Visit Our ENT Specialists
Smell and taste disturbances can be frustrating. A comprehensive understanding of the causes, diagnostic methods, and treatment options can help provide relief. Consulting with an otolaryngologist (ENT specialist) is essential for accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment planning. By addressing underlying issues and following a tailored treatment plan, individuals may restore their sense of smell and taste and improve their overall quality of life.