Anosmia: Frequently Asked Questions

Viral anosmia is a total lack of olfaction caused by an upper respiratory infection (URI) virus destroying the cells of the olfactory epithelium through a process known as necrosis. The virus enters the cells and destroys them from within leading to a lack of smell. Usually only the olfactory receptor cells are destroyed but some doctors believe the olfactory nerve or the nasal serous glands can also be damaged . ...

I sustained a head injury in 2001 resulting in anosmia (loss of smell). The accident, falling out of a golf cart, occurred the day my mother entered hospice care. I was devastated, not only by the loss of my mother but by the loss of smell, which is the only sense hardwired to the brain thus evoking strong memories. I was also frustrated by the lack of resources available for my recovery. Although the Neurologist had little hope for recovery he did offer "It may come back. " That was not enough. ...

It began with a sore throat that became progressively more painful for a week following which a very stuffy head cold began, with a cough, fatigue and painful limbs. After congestion began, anosmia set in. However, the viral symptoms can vary widely.

Nobody is certain, although it seems unlikely. Any URI virus seems capable of causing anosmia if its protein coat matches a key on your olfactory cells. It appears that viral anosmia is a matter of bad luck: the virus cells match an individual's olfactory receptor cells in very few cases. But in those in which it does, viral anosmia occurs.

No, the virus dies quickly when attacked by the body's immune system. Usually, by the time viral anosmia is apparent and diagnosed, the virus that caused it is long dead.

You don't for sure because the diagnosis is one of absence. If no other cause can be found it is likely to be caused by a virus. In many cases the rapid, immediate onset of anosmia can be traced to an incidence of URI (a cold, influenza, or sinus infection). This is usually enough to convince a physician that the URI was the cause, but by the time a patient visits a doctor, the virus itself has often gone. Concurrent URI and anosmia usually indicates viral-induced anosmia, but care must be taken to rule out other causes.

The standard medical line is that viral anosmia is not treatable and nearly all physicians will say that this is the case. At present, as far as I am aware, only Dr Robert I Henkin of the Taste and Smell Clinic in Washington DC, USA offers treatment for the condition with varying reports of success. After contracting viral anosmia in June 1998 I was first treated by Dr Henkin in May 1999. No 'alternative' therapies have proved to be successful. ...

Yes they do. Some recover spontaneously. The recovery rate is not known - figures are vague and badly researched, ranging from 18% of all cases in one study to 66% in another. Yet another study suggests that two thirds of all viral anosmia victims will have recovered at least some of their smell within four years. Bearing in mind that 'some of your smell' is arguably as little as 1% and that four years is a long time, this is not a good prognosis. ...