| Smell and Taste are senses contribute substantially to our enjoyment of life. They also warn us about dangers, such as fire, poisonous fumes, and spoiled food. There are four basic taste (sweet, sour, bitter and salty) sensations and, many flavors are recognized mainly through the sense of smell.
Causes for Smell and Taste Disorder:
• Aging: Smelling ability begins to decline after age 60.
• Sensation: People may born with a poor sense of smell or taste; Upper Respiratory Infections (Common Cold) and head injury are blamed for some losses; some diseases of the nervous system.
• Structural: Polyps in the nasal or sinus cavities (Nasal Polyp), dental problems, sometimes brain tumours.
• Smoking: It impairs the ability to identify odours and diminishes the sense of taste.
• Radiotherapy (RT): Patients with cancers of the head and neck complain lost smell and taste after RT.
• Laryngectomy (removal of larynx): Commonly complain of poor ability to smell and taste; can use a special "bypass" tube to enhance air flow through the nose for smell and taste sensation to be re-established.
Treatments:
• Stopping or Changing medications, which can cause chemosensory problems.
• Regain the sensation simply by waiting for their illness to run its course. Remove any nasal obstructions, such as polyps, to restore airflow to the receptor area.
• Occasionally, the senses may return to normal just as spontaneously as they disappeared.
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