Loss of smell from a TBI (Traumatic burn injury) is estimated to occur in 25 % of all brain injuries but is often overlooked.
People may first notice that foods taste differently as food taste is directly related to the sense of smell. Loss of smell is
called anosmia. It may be total or partial.
If the sense of smell is lost after trauma and is not regained after six months, most of the time the loss is permanent.
There is no really effective treatment for loss of smell although some options are discussed in the above video.
Another good video discussing anosmia from brain injury is the one here.
Loss of smell can result from a head injury (the frontotemporal region), from craniofacial trauma or damage to the nasal
passageways. It can also result from a shearing injury to the olfactory passageway.
There are smell centers which try cutting edge methods to restore smell, but the results from these centers are mixed.
Some people wonder if there is such a thing as “blind smell”, that is, do smells still have effects, for example, does lavender still calm, even though the percipient cannot consciously smell it. To date, there is no clear answer to such questions.
Stay Tuned.
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