8 Possible Reasons Why You Can't Smell

Imagine drinking a glass of milk and having no idea it’s gone bad until you’re in the E.R. with food poisoning? Worse yet, imagine leaving the gas in your stove on, and not noticing until it’s too late?

Though not as obviously crucial as sight and hearing, our sense of scent is incredibly important, as it alerts us to potential hazards like those mentioned above as well as wild animals, smoke and more. Beyond that, much of our sense of flavor is actually derived from smelling (taste and pain are the other two senses informing our culinary experience).

Typically speaking, the loss of smell (called anosmia) is the result of nasal congestion and will pass with the cold or allergic response which caused it. However, there may be other factors causing anosmia, some of which quite severe.

The way our sense of scent works is that molecules in the air travel up our nose, about 3 inches behind the nostrils, where they stimulate our olfactory receptors, which then activate sensory neurons, nerve cells found at the roof of the nasal cavity. Damage to the nerves or physical obstacles in the nose that might inhibit this process may cause anosmia.
 

Beyond nasal congestion, possible causes for anosmia are:

 

1. Polyps

Benign, painless non-cancerous growths may obstruct the nasal cavity, stopping particles from reaching the olfactory system. Polyps might be caused by an inflammation of the nasal lining and can be treated with steroids or safely removed via surgery. They are rather common, and affect anywhere between 4-40% of the world's population.

2. Solvents

Long-term inhalation and exposure to solvents like nail polish and turpentine may cause a condition referred to as chronic painters’ syndrome, the symptoms of which include memory loss, loss of cognitive and psychomotor abilities, personality shifts and loss or impairment of color vision and smell.

3. Trauma

Head trauma, such as that caused by facial and skull fractures and concussions, as well as botched surgeries, might cause damage to the nasal cavity or olfactory nerves, causing anosmia. This type of damage might be temporary, lasting up to six months after the fact, or permanent.

4. Drugs

The snorting of drugs like cocaine and methamphetamines, as well as illicit recreational snorting of legal opioids, such as oxycodone, is done with the intent of achieving a more potent and fast-onset high. The resultant damage to the nasal cavity and nerves can cause anosmia, as well as a perforation of the septum (the barrier separating the nostrils).

5. Medicine

Decongestant nasal sprays (such as otrivine) may provide temporary relief to cold-related anosmia, but may trigger long-term loss of smell. Likewise, homeopathic nasal sprays which incorporate zinc may cause anosmia. Some oral medicine, such as nifedipine and aspirin (and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) may also trigger anosmia.

6. Neurodegeneration

Diseases and medical conditions that target the nervous system, such as Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and Lewy body dementia (a variant of dementia characterized by abnormal protein bodies developing inside nerve cells) may hamper or cause complete loss of the sense of smell. In these cases, anosmia can be a warning sign of degenerative progression.

7. Radiotherapy

Radiation treatment for cranial or neck cancer may cause anosmia as a side-effect. As unfortunate and unwanted as that may be, it should not be a factor in considering treatment for cancer.

8. Aging

Much like other senses and faculties, one possible symptom of old age can be a declining sense of smell. Among octogenarians, 60%-80% have experienced either partial loss of smell (hyposmia) or total anosmia.

In any case you find you sense of smell has been impaired inexplicably, tell a doctor. A family doctor should be able to diagnose or rule out inflammation or polyps, if those are causing your anosmia.

Treatment

In congestion-caused anosmia, the simplest treatment is taking decongestant drugs, though you should avoid nasal sprays (why? Read above). If the cold or rhinitis have passed and the anosmia still persists, tell a doctor.

If the cause of your anosmia is a polyp in your nasal passage, steroidal spray may shrink or eliminate the polyps. If ineffective, a surgery may be required to remove them and regain the sense of smell.

If your sense of smell is declining and you’re worried that a drug you’re taking might be the cause, consult with your doctor. Do not, however, stop taking prescribed medicine because of a hunch, before hearing a qualified professional's opinion.

Anosmia might be temporary or permanent. In cases where it is untreatable, as in anosmia caused by old age, you might want to make adjustments to your household and lifestyle. Take extra care when consuming perishable goods, read the expiration date and install smoke and gas leak detectors in your house.

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Household toxins degrade fertility in both men and dogs

Environmental contaminants found in the home and affects male fertility both in humans and domestic dogs find a new study stating the decline in sperm quality in both the species over the past few years.

What makes household contaminants?
Hazardous household products consist of six broad categories: household cleaners, paints and solvents, lawn and garden care, automotive products, pool chemicals, and health and beauty aids. Many commonly used household products in these categories release toxic chemicals.

The study showed the chemicals -- at concentrations relevant to environmental exposure -- have the same damaging effect on the sperm of both man and dog.

"We know when human sperm motility is poor, DNA fragmentation is increased and that human male infertility is linked to increased levels of DNA damage in sperm," said co-author.

"We now believe this is the same in pet dogs because they live in the same domestic environment and are exposed to the same household contaminants," he said.

What did the scientists do?
For the study, the team tested the effects of two man-made chemicals -- the common plasticiser DEHP, widely used in the home (e.g. carpets, clothes, toys) and the industrial chemical polychlorinated biphenyl 153, which although banned globally, remains widely detectable in the environment, including food.

Using donated sperm from sample males and stud dogs living within a specific region in the UK, the researchers found that the chemicals had a clear damaging effect on both sperm samples.

The researchers carried out identical experiments for both species using samples of sperm from donor men and stud dogs, living in the same region.

"This new study supports our theory that the domestic dog is indeed a 'sentinel' or mirror for the human male reproductive decline. Our findings suggest man-made chemicals, widely used in home and working environment, may be responsible for the decline in sperm quality," lead author said.

Next, the team will focus on the region to see if location also impacts sperm vitality in both men and dogs.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                         FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/           

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Exposure to solvents before first childbirth linked to higher breast cancer risk

For the research, Dr. Ekenga and her coworkers analyzed data from the Sister Study. This took into account 50,884 women who were not diagnosed with cancer at the onset of the study, but they were sisters of women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

The lead researcher Christine C. Ekenga, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the epidemiology branch of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at the National Institutes of Health said in a statement, "Our study is an important first step toward understanding how the timing of chemical exposures may impact breast cancer risk. We hope that our findings will generate additional interest in the possible role of solvents and other chemicals in the etiology of breast cancer."

The research was conducted on the data spanning the years from 2003-2009, where in the participants were required to answer questionnaires with respect to their employment history as well as other possible risk factors for breast cancer. The participants were also followed up for health updates on an yearly basis.

The Questions pertained to the duration of solvent exposure in their job, the weekly occurrence of this exposure and how old they were when they took up their first job involving organic solvents.

During the course of the study, 1,798 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. Of these women, 1,255 had invasive cancer, and 77 percent of these cancers were hormone-receptor positive.

In the words of the researcher, Christine C. Ekenga, "The time between puberty and before first birth is an important period of development when the breast may be more vulnerable to chemical exposures. We observed that women who started working with solvents before their first full-term birth had a greater risk for breast cancer. All women should be familiar with the chemicals and hazards that are present in their workplace, and use personal protective equipment and minimize exposures when appropriate."

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Pesticides, solvents may up Parkinson`s risk

Exposure to pesticides, or bug and weed killers, and solvents is likely associated with a higher risk of developing Parkinson`s disease, a large analysis of more than 100 studies from around the world has revealed. 

"Due to this association, there was also a link between farming or country living and developing Parkinson`s in some of the studies," said the study author .

For the analysis, researchers reviewed 104 studies that looked at exposure to weed, fungus, rodent or bug killers, and solvents and the risk of developing Parkinson`s disease. Studies that evaluated the proximity of exposure, such as country living, work occupation and well water drinking were also included.

The research found that exposure to bug or weed killers and solvents increased the risk of developing Parkinson`s disease by 33 to 80 percent. In controlled studies, exposure to the weed killer paraquat or the fungicides maneb and mancozeb was associated with two times the risk of developing the disease.

We didn`t study whether the type of exposure, such as whether the compound was inhaled or absorbed through the skin and the method of application, such as spraying or mixing, affected Parkinson`s risk," said one of the researcher.

"However, our study suggests that the risk increases in a dose response manner as the length of exposure to these chemicals increases," the researcher added.