gilada

Ok, I've never been able to smell, anything.

Yes, I can taste food, but my nose, she no smell nuthing.

So, is there anything I can do about this? Is there a speciality that I should look into that would be interrested in this and the possibility of fixing it.

I'm 31 years old, and would finally like to be able to smell.

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Averett

You were born that way?

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Evil Milkman

You can taste food but you can't smell? Odd...

Qazwsxedc

i always thought that your sense of taste was directly related to your sense of smell.. like the Milkman said, odd..

VitaminH

I *think* a large portion of taste comes from your sense of smell, but not totally. People who have no sense of smell will never taste things quite like those who do, but they still can taste in general. It's kind of like when you have a cold and your nose is still stuffed up, food just doesn't taste as flavorful and all that jazz.


I think the type of doctor you are looking for is an Ear, Nose and Throat guy. Try Otology or an Otolaryngologist if you want the big word answer, but they're all ENT guys.

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gilada

Yeah, I can still taste, don't have any idea how to base it against those who can smell. I would assume it's like any other missing sense. Not to make it cliche... but I figure my taste took over for my inability for me to smell.

I have my likes and dislikes. Can't stand onions and peppers. Love sweets. I can identify pretty much every spice and ingredient in a meal I'm eating. Purely, by what I understand, is taste.

The only thing I can 'identify' is fumes... if they go directly up my nose. And that's only if they're like toxic.

Rubbing alcohol burns my nasal passages. Don't smell it, but it makes me choke. Smelling salts are horrible, make me gag.

But one time we had a gas leak in the house. I had no idea. My 2 dogs and I were 'drowsing' on the couch when my wife came home and freaked out that the house reeked of gas. I had no idea, I just thought I was sleepy.

We evacuated, called the gas company and had it fixed. I seriously could have died. We have had gas monitors installed since then.

But long story short, I can't smell, and really want to be able to, but have no idea what the root cause is.

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Evil Milkman

I have no idea, you might just run a general search on the net and/or talk to your doctor or something. Hopefully you'll find out what can fix this for ya.

Bill O'Rights

My guess is that while you think that you can taste, you're not tasting to full capacity. I burned out my nasal passages many years ago, due to nasal spray abuse. I have severe hayfever, and...well, I'm not getting into that. I did it, it's done and that's that. I can, however, smell things that are..."strong". I have noticed, within the past year and a half, that I am slowly starting to regain it. Little bit, by little bit.

You, on the other hand, sound as if you've always been olfactoraly disadvantaged (Ya like that? I just made it up ) I would assume that you've seen doctors?

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StephenSa

I have a similiar condition though not as severe. I can smell but apparantly not as well as most people. For instance at work people sometimes complain of various smells - burnt popcorn, various foods, etc. and I rarely smell anything. At home my fiance' has complained of musty smells from a roof leak we had and she can't STAND the smell of haggis but again I rarely smell anything. If it is a really strong smell I get it but probably not as powerfully as others. As for taste food has never had a great interest for me other than as fuel or something to do. Perhaps I'm not tasting things as sharply as others and that explains my lack of interest. I don't worry about it, since I've always been this way I have nothing to miss.

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DDDDave

You are not alone.

With our tongues, we identify sweet, sour, bitter, and 'saltiness'. All other 'tastes' come from smell. (remember when you were a kid and you held your nose to eat vegetables)

I have nasal polyps that seem to cover my olfactory nerves. These are grape like growths inside your nasal and sinus passages. There are numerous thoughts as to what causes the polyps (allergens, injury, altitude) but it is not one thing specifically. Sometimes the polyps are large and completely block the passages. This leads to almost constant sinus infections due to the sinuses not being able to drain correctly. They can also be very small and cause almost no problems.

VitH is correct. The person you need to see is an Otolaryngologist (Ear Nose Throat - ENT). They will inspect your nasal and sinus cavities and give you a diagnosis. Sometimes they prescribe prednisone (steriods). This shrinks the polyps and can work wonders very quickly and easily. The other extreme is surgery to remove the polyps. I have had this surgery twice. I had sinus infections almost constantly for 5 years and couldn't take it anymore. After the first surgery, I felt like a new person and vowed I would never wait so long to get treatment again.

Get yourself to an ENT and get it checked out.

P.S. StephenSa - Sounds like polyps to me. A quick little course of prednisone could change your life.

<< Don't start in on me about the dangers of prednisone. Your physician will ask all the questions and determine if it is the right thing for you.>>


Good Luck.

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bigwhoop

What (little) I know:

Loss of your sense of smell is called Anosmia. "Olfactory disadvantaged" works, too.

Here's an interesting site, you can find others just by searching for anosmia, of course: http://www.maxuk.net/nose.html

Wulf_Hunter

My mom has the same problem, nose polyps. But it also takes away the taste, not only the sence of smell for her.

Jesus Malverde

At least if I couldn't smell anything I would never have to take any whiffs of the dirty loads my roomate drops.

I don't know about the nose part of it, but they messed up some eardrum surgery on my dad about ten years ago and he lost his sense of taste. He's never mentioned anything about not being able to smell though.

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seizei

if you lived with my girlfriend, you would thank your lucky stars that you have no sense of smell!!!!

How can someone so cute be so stinky!!!!!!!!

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Evil Milkman

Part of me wishes I had your problem!

phlox

Something like one half to two thirds of people with anosmia lose their sex drive too. Something about the limbic system...