How to restore the smell and taste of a runny nose

Posted on by admin

What to do if you have lost your sense of smell and taste with a runny nose?

The sense of smell plays a big role in our lives: thanks to it, we can not only enjoy pleasant aromas, but also perceive food as more appetizing.

Table of contents:

Remember how tasteless a dish seems when your nose is stuffy and you can’t distinguish smells.

What is the mechanism for the development of the loss of this sense, what to do if the sense of smell is lost due to a runny nose, and how to restore the taste to your favorite dishes: let's figure it out.

A little physiology

Partial or complete loss of smell has a scientific term - anosmia. Deterioration in the perception of taste is called ageusia. To understand the reasons for the formation of these symptoms, let’s touch on physiology.

The olfactory region is located in the mucous membrane of the upper part of the nasal cavity. It is represented by special sensitive cells that are able to perceive odors and transmit them along the olfactory nerve to the brain, where they are processed.

The perception of taste is also carried out in the brain, at the level of the taste analyzer. Nerve impulses coming from cells located on the papillae of the tongue are analyzed by the central nervous system and are recognized by the person.

Since the nerve fibers of the olfactory and gustatory analyzers intersect, the perception of taste and smell of many dishes is inextricably linked.

Causes of loss of smell and taste

One of the most common causes of anosmia and augesia is a common cold. Infectious agents (viruses, bacteria or fungi) invade the nasal mucosa, causing inflammation - rhinitis.

Swelling and accumulated mucus interfere with sensitive cells to perceive information, and the person almost does not smell. Against this background, all dishes become bland and tasteless. In addition to a runny nose, doctors identify several other reasons why the sense of smell may disappear:

  • Peripheral action (problem in the nasal cavity):
    • Long-term use of nasal vasoconstrictor drops;
    • Contact with harmful substances;
    • Deviation of the nasal septum;
    • Polyps and other neoplasms in the nasal cavity;
  • Central action (problem at the brain level):
    • Consequences of traumatic brain injury;
    • Damage to the olfactory nerve;
    • Polyneuropathy in diabetes mellitus;
    • Age-related changes.

How to deal with the problem: expert advice

What should you do if, after a runny nose, your sense of smell has disappeared, and all food seems tasteless and unappetizing? The solution to this problem must be comprehensive and include several steps.

Step 1. Eliminate the cause of the disease

Most often, a runny nose is a consequence of an infection that has “settled” in the body. It is important to consult a doctor to identify the causative agent of rhinitis and adequate therapy:

Occurring in 50-60% of cases, it is treated symptomatically (warm drinks, saline infusions) or by prescribing antiviral drugs (Remantadine, Relenza).

Requires antibiotics. The main groups of drugs are penicillins, cephalosporins, macrolides.

If the runny nose is allergic in nature.

Doctors prescribe antihistamines (Suprastin, Zyrtec, Claritin).

Note! Vasoconstrictor nasal drops, which have probably saved those who have had a stuffy nose and lost their sense of smell at least once in their lives, do not cure a runny nose, but only eliminate its unpleasant symptoms. Since these drugs are quickly addictive and have a lot of side effects, doctors recommend using them no more than three times a day and no more than five days in a row.

Step 2. Clear the nasal cavity of mucus

You can restore your sense of smell and taste with a runny nose by rinsing the nasal cavity with saline solution. The simplest saline solution can be made at home by dissolving 1 tsp. without a slide of salt in a glass of boiled water. You can also use ready-made pharmaceutical preparations:

The procedure is simple:

  • Draw saline solution into a syringe;
  • Lean over the sink with your head turned to the side;
  • Insert the tip of the syringe into the nostril;
  • Gently press the bulb to irrigate the nasal cavity. The liquid should go around the nasal septum and flow out of the other nostril.

Doctors recommend rinsing the nose 2-3 times a day until the condition improves.

Step 3. Ease your breathing

Simple, but at the same time effective ways to ease nasal breathing and restore the sense of smell during a runny nose are:

Hot shower before bed.

Water vapor will moisturize and clear the nasal passages of mucus, and breathing and smelling will become much easier. It is important to avoid hypothermia after water procedures.

Maintaining optimal (60-65%) indoor humidity.

This indicator can be achieved using a humidifier or wet towels hung around the apartment.

Drink plenty of warm drinks.

Drink more hot tea with lemon or raspberry jam, low-fat chicken broth.

Step 4. Traditional methods of treatment

Traditional medicine suggests using garlic to restore the sense of smell and taste during a runny nose. How to quickly cope with unpleasant symptoms using garlic water?

  • Prepare a decoction of garlic by adding 4 cloves of peeled and chopped garlic to 200 ml of boiling water;
  • Cook for 2-3 minutes and add a pinch of salt at the end of cooking;
  • Drink the mixture hot;
  • Taking this remedy after lunch for three days will help you fully experience tastes and smells again.

Before using garlic infusion, consult your doctor. The product has contraindications (individual intolerance, diseases of the stomach, intestines, etc.).

How to eliminate a runny nose at home

How to warm your nose with a runny nose without causing harm

What and how to rinse your nose: 3 types of cleansing solutions

Acupressure for a runny nose

Propolis for the common cold: basic methods of preparation

Source: http://gaimoritus.ru/nasmork/propalo-obonyanie-pri-nasmorke.html

Tip 1: How to restore your sense of smell with a runny nose

  • - medications;
  • - lemon, mint or eucalyptus oil, pan, towel;
  • - mustard, soda, sea salt, basin;
  • — mint oil, honey, alcohol tincture of propolis;
  • - onion and garlic peels.

Tip 2: How to treat your sense of smell

Often, a person does not immediately notice that he has become worse at perceiving odors. The reasons for a decreased sense of smell can be either mechanical (fracture or crack of the nasal septum) or chemical: a burn to the mucous membrane of the paranasal sinuses, working with harmful substances that emit a pungent, unpleasant odor. In addition, a decrease in olfactory abilities is observed after certain diseases: sinusitis, eithmoiditis, inflammation of the middle ear, etc.

What to do: If we are talking about a burn of the mucous membrane, then this can be treated quite successfully with a mixture of olive and corn oil. 2 times a day, you need to insert cotton wool, generously moistened with this solution, into your nose. Sometimes you can find honey as a recommended remedy. Honey should not be applied to erosive mucous membranes.

Source: http://www.kakprosto.ru/kakkak-vernut-obonyanie-pri-nasmorke

Loss of taste and smell due to a runny nose: how to restore?

Why does the sense of smell and taste disappear when you have a runny nose?

The most common factors that have a negative impact on sensitivity to smells and tastes include the following problems:

  • Virus infection. Itchy sensations are first accompanied by sneezing, then replaced by congestion and unpleasant discharge.

Olfactory disorders have several degrees:

  • Hyposmia. Partial loss of olfactory ability. It is caused by a poor sensation of substances with a strong odor and a lack of perception of mild odors.

Loss of smell. Why is this happening? (video)

How does loss of smell occur? The effect of a runny nose on loss of sensitivity. For what reasons does a person lose the ability to smell?

How to restore your sense of smell and taste with a runny nose

Restoration of taste and olfactory function is carried out through complex therapy, which includes the following points:

  • Sanitation. Elimination of the causes of difficulty breathing by rinsing the nasal cavity with silver-based solutions (“Collargol”, “Protargol”).

How to restore your sense of smell (video)

How to restore your sense of smell after a runny nose. The inhalation procedure, its duration. Precautions and course of treatment.

Traditional methods of treatment

You can restore loss of sensitivity due to a runny nose at home by using the following folk methods:

  • Potato. Boil several fruits (peelings).

Therapeutic tampons (turundas)

  • liquid/melted honey is mixed in equal proportions with butter;
  • mix menthol oil with a similar amount of camphor oil, apply 3 drops per nostril twice a day for a week;

Washing. To prepare the solution you need 10 g of sea salt, 4 drops of iodine and half a glass of warm water. Ensure complete dissolution of all ingredients by shaking/mixing. Use a 2 ml syringe to rinse the sinuses.

Prevention

The following tips will help you avoid or prevent the development of olfactory dysfunction:

  • Timely treatment of nasopharyngeal diseases.

Losing the ability to taste and smell causes great discomfort. Medicines, inhalations, special drops and traditional medicine help fight the disease. Systematized therapy with an integrated approach will restore olfactory properties in the shortest possible time, and preventive measures will help to avoid problems in the future.

When using site materials, a link to the page of the material used is required.

Source: http://domadoktor.ru/590-propalo-obonjanie-pri-nasmorke.html

Loss of taste and smell with a runny nose

With colds, a person almost always develops rhinitis, which often results in loss of taste and smell. Patients’ complaints about loss of smell are understandable, since they cannot live fully and enjoy the smells around them. Why does the sense of taste and smell disappear after rhinitis?

enjoy the surrounding smells

The nasal cavity contains the olfactory region. In its structure, it differs from the entire nasal mucosa. Moreover, the size of this area is different for each person. In this area there are olfactory cells that perceive incoming odors, and then they are transmitted to the brain, where they are analyzed.

The brain also processes data about the taste of the product, which first reaches the papillae of the tongue. Some products or prepared dishes are evaluated by a person only with the assistance of two mechanisms: gustatory and olfactory. With rhinitis, the patient may either partially lose the sense of smell or completely.

data on the taste of the product

Reasons for the appearance of a sense of smell during a runny nose

Such an unpleasant phenomenon as loss of smell appears as a result of colds, especially if a runny nose is not treated. At the time of illness, the nasal mucosa swells due to strong secretions. There are other reasons that influence the loss of taste from smell. These are a fracture or curvature of the nasal septum, polyps in the nasal cavity, and various tumors. In these cases, severe swelling of the nasal mucosa does not allow the smell to reach the area of ​​the olfactory cells, so information about it does not reach the brain. Also, sometimes there are cases of congenital lack of sense of smell. In this case, the disease practically cannot be treated.

In a standard situation, when the sense of smell disappears after a runny nose, there is no need to worry. Within a week after recovery, the sense of smell and taste is usually restored.

If there are no odors, you should complain to your doctor, who will determine the cause of your illness and prescribe the correct treatment. If the cause of loss of taste or smell is allergic swelling in the nasal cavity, the doctor prescribes complex treatment using medications.

If the sense of smell has disappeared due to the presence of polyps in the nose, surgical intervention can help.

With a chronic runny nose, the sense of smell can be restored if the inflammatory process is in the first stage of development. But an advanced disease can lead to irreversible processes in the nasal mucosa. As a result, the sense of smell may not return or will require very long and expensive treatment.

No odors

How to restore your sense of smell at home?

An effective method for treating colds, as well as for restoring taste and smell, is the use of saline solution. To prepare this solution, dilute 2 g of salt in a glass of warm boiled water. We draw salted water first into one nostril and then into the other so that the solution penetrates to the larynx. Sometimes a couple of drops of iodine are added to this solution.

To restore your sense of smell yourself, use the following procedure: pour 200 g of water, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 drops of mint oil (lavender can be used) into a saucepan and boil everything. You need to breathe in the warm mixture through your nose, alternately closing one nostril and then the other. This treatment must be repeated daily for days.

To restore taste and smell, propolis is an excellent folk remedy. Let's prepare a composition of propolis, butter and vegetable oil. The composition is prepared in a ratio of 1:3:3. Mix everything well until smooth and soft. Soak cotton swabs in this mixture and place them in both nostrils at once for 15 minutes. Try to carry out this procedure in the morning and evening.

To restore taste and smell

Some people who have lost their sense of smell after a runny nose benefit from a procedure using vinegar. Pour 5-6 tablespoons of table vinegar into a very hot frying pan. As soon as the vinegar begins to evaporate, you need to lean over the frying pan and carefully inhale the hot fumes. At the same time, make sure that the vinegar vapor does not get into your eyes.

You can restore your sense of smell yourself with the help of a powder made from herbs: mint, chamomile, lily of the valley, marjoram and caraway. First, dry these plants well and then chop them well. The resulting remedy must be inhaled alternately into one nostril, then into the other. This collection can also be used for inhalation.

The following exercise for the nose has long been used to restore the sense of smell: first tense the wings of the nose, and then relax. Moreover, the time of tension should last longer than the time of relaxation. This exercise should be done daily up to 6 times a day until improvement occurs.

Also, to restore smell and taste after a runny nose, use a mixture of honey and beet juice. A few drops of this solution are instilled into each nostril for one week.

Loss of smell with a runny nose

I experienced these unpleasant sensations myself, and all because I delayed the treatment. Now, if there is any hint of a runny nose, then I immediately start rinsing my nose, rinsing it with morenasal spray. It contains calcined sea salt, it rinses well and cleanses the mucous membrane of various bacteria. And the dispenser is very convenient, nothing leaks out.

left by Dasha, date0 13:23:52

My sense of smell and taste have been impaired for several weeks now(((. It’s terrible! You feel that you are eating salty, sweet, sour, but you simply don’t feel such subtleties as vanilla in a cake, garlic in cutlets, cumin in cabbage. With odors also a problem. It’s like you’re constantly walking around in a bad respirator - there are smells somewhere, but very distantly. And about a month ago there was an acute respiratory viral infection, but there was no severe runny nose. Before that, for about a year I had a runny nose in the morning, apparently allergic. It didn’t bother me, I didn’t even treat it. Now I’ll have to save the quality of my life, since there really aren’t enough scents(((.

left by Elena, date9 19:13:03

I read your article and was simply shocked by your recommendations, as well as by the errors in the text. I recommend that you try your recommendation with vinegar yourself. I'm shocked.

left by Vmktoriya, date2 14:41:28

I have a similar situation, even life seems uninteresting, but I really want to breathe in and feel my favorite aroma of perfume, favorite dishes, etc. ,

left by Galina, date1 06:30:38

Comrades, I sympathize with you all, this is a disgusting topic, and cooking becomes boring.

I can recommend either 1/3 teaspoon of sea salt per 1 teaspoon of soda (to soften), or furatsilin, crushed and thoroughly diluted in boiling water.

Rinse your nose (I personally gargle and try to get as much of the insides of the nose as possible by tilting my head, into the sinuses and other bone alleys there)

left by Dima, date8 23:41:41

Source: http://www.xn—-7sbqaarkjgihg0al1h.xn--p1ai/poterya-vkusa-i-zapaha-pri-nasmorke

A sore question: how to restore your sense of smell and taste when you have a runny nose?

How to restore your sense of smell and taste with a runny nose? Factory-produced medicines and traditional methods are used for recovery. Most of them are highly effective and promote rapid recovery. Under no circumstances should you self-medicate.

General information

Often, with colds, people are faced with the loss of their sense of smell and taste. This phenomenon provokes rhinitis. Patients are not able to distinguish smells and tastes precisely because of a cold, when no measures were taken to eliminate the runny nose for a long time, or they were insufficient.

When the sense of smell is lost due to a runny nose, another reason may contribute to this phenomenon. For example, a head injury that caused damage to the nasal septum. It sometimes bends and breaks. Other factors:

  • formation of polyps in the nasal cavity,
  • smoking,
  • a person inhales substances of chemical origin that are harmful to the respiratory organs and the entire respiratory system,
  • formation of a tumor in the nose.

In very rare cases, the sense of smell can be lost due to a birth defect.

In medicine, deviations associated with the differentiation of odors are distinguished. They are called hyposmia or anosmia. With hyposmia, a temporary or periodic weakening of the sense of smell occurs. When a patient has anosmia (complete lack of smell), he completely stops feeling aromas.

Drug therapy

Recovery is often performed through medications that should be prescribed exclusively by a doctor. He can accurately determine why a person has lost his sense of smell and why he cannot feel taste.

The following drugs are popular for this problem:

These agents have a vasoconstrictor effect. A positive result with their help is achieved by eliminating swelling of the mucous surface. However, treatment with them can be carried out for no more than 1 week. This is due to the provoking addiction. In addition, their effectiveness is significantly weakened.

If the sense of smell is lost due to allergic rhinitis, the patient is usually prescribed an antihistamine. If this does not help or the case is very serious, topical corticosteroids are used. For example, Eden, Flixonase, Nasonex, etc.

If, after a runny nose, the sense of smell has disappeared, and this deviation is caused by sinusitis, therapy is carried out only according to the recommendations of an ENT doctor. Only the attending physician can provide appropriate assistance. Self-medication leads to very serious consequences. Due to inflammation that appears in the sinuses, pathologies such as meningitis, sepsis, etc. develop.

Therapy with folk remedies

The sense of smell can be restored through traditional medicine. Sometimes simple exercises are enough. You should alternately tense and relax the nasal wings.

In order for the receptors to begin to perform their functions again, it is necessary to withstand the voltage for a longer time. The exercise is performed several times during the day. This treatment is carried out every day until a completely positive result is obtained.

You can restore lost functions by rinsing the sinuses using salt water. To get the desired solution, you need to boil a glass of water and dilute 1 tsp in it. table salt. You can use sea salt.

How to restore your sense of smell? You need to close 1 nostril with your finger, while the second nostril needs to be slowly sucked in the received medicine. Using this procedure, it is permissible to treat not only adult patients, but also children. Additionally, add a few drops of iodine to 200 ml of water.

Essential oils

What to do if taste and smell have disappeared? You can overcome the problem with the use of essential oils. It is necessary to boil 200 ml of water in a small enamel bowl. Add a few drops of mint essential oil, lavender, and lemon balm to the liquid. You can choose any oil you like. Pour 2 tbsp into the mixture. l. freshly squeezed lemon juice.

You can restore your sense of smell after a runny nose if you do steam inhalations.

The patient should tilt his face over the container and inhale the steam through his nose. You can quickly get rid of rhinitis and restore the lost taste and smell.

It is enough to carry out the procedure for 2-3 days. However, you cannot immediately abandon inhalations after improvement occurs. The result should be consolidated by performing several more procedures.

Home Treatment Options

To restore the sense of smell during a runny nose, use lemon juice or cyclamen. This remedy copes well with rhinitis and its consequences. The treatment is very simple. You need to suck in the juice with both nostrils. Another option is to drop the juice into your nostrils using a dropper. The patient will begin to smell and taste in a few days. Manipulation is carried out up to 4 times a day.

I don’t smell anything, what should I do? Menthol oil is popular among people.

It needs to be instilled into each nasal passage, 2-3 drops. To speed up the onset of a positive effect, you should lubricate the skin of the nose on both sides.

How to restore your sense of smell with a runny nose and get rid of rhinitis? Propolis can come to the rescue. The product is proven and highly effective. To ensure that taste buds work without failure, ointment is used. It is prepared independently based on propolis. The drug is used to lubricate the nasal passages.

To prepare the ointment you will need 1 tsp. propolis, butter and olive oil. Take 3 tsp of each ingredient, mix and melt in a water bath. How to treat the disease? You can place cotton swabs soaked in ointment in your nostrils. The procedure is completed within minutes. Manipulation is carried out 2 times a day.

Other effective means

How to restore taste and recover quickly? Beetroot juice is highly effective. Sugar beets are used for this. Treatment is carried out using a mixture. The juice is combined with natural liquid honey. In order for the olfactory process to normalize, it is necessary to instill the resulting composition 3-5 times during the day. If convenient, cotton swabs are soaked in the medicine and placed in the nostrils for a minute.

How to quickly achieve a positive effect after a runny nose? In order to restore the lost sense of smell, freshly squeezed celandine juice can be used. Place 2-3 drops of juice in both nostrils. To achieve the fastest possible effect, to identify odors and tastes, you need to repeat the procedure every few hours.

If any product consumed is tasteless and a person cannot distinguish smells, you should use garlic juice.

The juice must be diluted in water. For 1 part juice you need to take 10 parts water. Cotton swabs are soaked in the resulting liquid. Already immediately after 1 session, a person feels a significant improvement in his condition. Manipulations are performed for 10 minutes, no more than 3 times a day. The cold will go away soon, as this is facilitated by the bactericidal properties of the medicine.

Loss of smell and disturbances in the functioning of taste buds are eliminated using aroma lamps. They are used with one of the essential oils that are sold at any pharmacy. Since there is excellent inhalation of oils, it is possible to quickly obtain a positive result. In patients, essential oils sometimes provoke allergies.

Source: http://gorlonos.ru/nose/lechenie-procedury/kak-vernut-obonyanie-pri-nasmorke.html

Loss of smell and taste with a cold

Loss of smell and taste during a cold is a consequence of a prolonged runny nose. This phenomenon causes a lot of inconvenience because it reduces people's ability to enjoy food, drinks and various pleasant smells. Also, due to such a violation, a person can ignore the presence of harmful substances in the environment, and this is already life-threatening.

There is a close relationship between the sense of smell and taste. The olfactory cells in the nose perceive odors, and the papillae of the tongue perceive taste. The data is transmitted to the brain, which processes it and recognizes taste sensations. Some tastes can be determined without the participation of smell, while others require analysis of both gustatory and olfactory sensations. That is why the loss of smell after a cold often leads to the fact that food seems tasteless to the patient.

Restoring the sense of smell and taste after a cold

You will need to provide your doctor with the following information:

  • how long ago the loss of smell and taste occurred;
  • Is the ability to smell strong odors (vanilla, citrus, ammonia) still preserved?
  • whether there are olfactory or taste hallucinations.

Proven remedies help quickly remove nasal swelling and restore senses.

Of the vasoconstrictors that effectively act on a runny nose and promote the rapid restoration of the sense of smell, the most common are naphthyzine, naphazoline, and reserpine. Drops should not be overused: an overdose can cause swelling of the mucous membrane, which is the main cause of deterioration in the sense of smell.

Traditional methods of restoring the sense of smell and taste

Traditional medicine techniques will also tell you how to restore your sense of smell after a cold.

Recipe No. 1. Boil a glass of water in an enamel container, add lemon balm, mint or lavender essential oil (2-3 drops). You need to lean over this remedy and inhale the healing steam through your nose. This procedure will help restore your sense of smell in 2-3 days. However, you should not stop inhaling immediately after you feel better. It is better to carry out a few more procedures and thereby consolidate the resulting effect.

Recipe No. 2. If you lose your sense of smell after a cold, lemon or cyclamen juices are effective. They can be instilled with a pipette 2-4 drops 4 times a day. This usually takes several days, after which significant improvement is noted.

Recipe No. 3. It is recommended to instill 3 drops of menthol oil into each nasal passage. To enhance the effect, it is recommended to lubricate the outside of the nose with the same product.

Recipe No. 3. An ointment prepared at home based on propolis gives a good effect in cases of loss of smell and taste due to a cold. The necessary ingredients are a teaspoon of propolis, three teaspoons each of butter and olive oil. These components are combined in a water bath into a homogeneous mixture. The resulting ointment should be lubricated with nasal passages. You can soak cotton swabs in it and hold them in your nose for minutes.

Recipe No. 4. To restore your sense of smell, you can use beet juice with honey. To achieve the desired effect, it is instilled into the nose 3-5 times a day; you can also insert tampons soaked in it into the nose.

Recipe No. 6. Garlic juice should be diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10, then you need to soak cotton swabs in it and hold them for a few minutes. To improve the condition, it is enough to repeat the procedure 2-3 times a day. It is not recommended to put undiluted garlic juice into the nose (it may cause a burn to the mucous membrane).

Recipe No. 5. To restore the sense of smell, fresh celandine juice is instilled into each nostril, 2-3 drops. To achieve the desired effect, the procedure must be repeated every 2 hours.

Recipe No. 6. You need to mix 20 drops of propolis tincture with alcohol, half a teaspoon of natural honey, and a teaspoon of mint oil. The result should be a healing mass with which cotton swabs are soaked. They should be kept in the nostrils for half an hour.

Also, a remedy such as aroma lamps will help restore your sense of smell after a cold. They should be used with essential oils of lavender, mint, tangerine, lemon balm, and rosemary.

Any folk remedy for loss of smell after a cold can be used with the permission of a doctor. If the dosage is incorrect or individual intolerance to the components, these treatment methods can be harmful to health.

Found 129 doctors treating the disease: acute respiratory infections

Doctor of the highest category. Doctor of Medical Sciences.

  • years of experience, 45
  • Adults and children ,

Olga Stepanovna – Doctor of Medical Sciences, Honored Doctor of Ukraine, therapist of the highest category. Accepts children and adults with cardiological, gastroenterological, and general therapeutic diseases. more

st. Baggovutovskaya, 14 st. Baggovutovskaya, 14 Kyiv Ukraine

50..65 Doc.ua is a free online service for finding a doctor and making an appointment.

st. Baggovutovskaya, 14. On the map

Doctor of the highest category. Candidate of Medical Sciences.

  • years of experience, 29

Sergey Aleksandrovich provides support to patients with general therapeutic, cardio- and gastroenterological pathologies; the specialist also sees allergy patients and carries out a wide range of diagnostics in cardiology. more

Ave. Komarova, 3, bldg. 5 ave. Komarova, 3, bldg. 5 Kyiv Ukraine

50..62 Doc.ua is a free online service for finding a doctor and making an appointment.

Doctor of the highest category. Doctor of Medical Sciences.

  • years of experience, 40
  • Children's doctor,

Alexander Petrovich has been providing professional medical care in the treatment of childhood infectious diseases and diseases of the ENT organs for over 40 years. The doctor also advises patients on homeopathic therapy. more

Oleksia Teryokhina street, 4, Kiev Oleksia Terjokhina street, 4, Kiev Kyiv Ukraine

50..12 Doc.ua is a free online service for finding a doctor and making an appointment.

Oleksia Teryokhina street, 4, Kiev. On the map

Podolsky, Podol, metro Dorohozhychi, metro Lukyanovskaya, metro Petrovka

Doctor of the highest category.

  • years of experience, 32
  • Adults and children ,

Yuri Dmitrievich is a professional in several areas of medicine - pediatrics, family medicine and phthisiology. The doctor administers all types of injections, monitors pregnant women, provides emergency medical care, provides admission to preventive vaccinations, pre-trip examinations of drivers, etc. He is the holder of a certificate from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine for high professionalism.

Mira Avenue 19/18 Mira Avenue 19/18 Kyiv Ukraine

50.6 30.4 Doc.ua is a free online service for finding a doctor and making an appointment.

Dneprovsky, Rusanovka, Livoberezhnaya metro station, Darnitsa metro station

Doctor of the highest category.

  • years of experience, 14

A family doctor and therapist, he actively uses the principles of homeopathy and homotoxicology in his practice, treats chronic pathologies and prevents exacerbations of allergies, and is proficient in the technique of biopuncture using “Heel” preparations. more

st. Vadim Getman, 1B (2nd floor of a residential building) st. Vadim Getmana, 1B (2nd floor of a residential building) Kyiv Ukraine

50..6 Doc.ua is a free online service for finding a doctor and making an appointment.

st. Vadim Getman, 1B (2nd floor of a residential building). On the map

Solomensky, Shulyavka, Shulyavskaya metro station

Thank you!

Your application has been accepted, we will contact you shortly

Source: http://doc.ua/bolezn/orz/poterya-obonyaniya-i-vkusa-pri-prostude

What to do if your sense of smell and taste is lost. Causes and treatment

What should you do if your sense of smell and taste has disappeared and your nose cannot smell?

In cases where this disease, which is not even considered by many as such, is accompanied by a deterioration in the perception of aromas or even taste, people begin to sound the alarm and look for ways to restore them.

The causes and treatment of this disorder will be discussed in this article.

Reasons or why the sense of smell and taste disappeared?

It may seem that the inability to distinguish odors is a trifle, without which it is not difficult to live.

But when a person loses one of his basic feelings, he understands its real value.

After all, deprived of the opportunity to experience fragrances and “unpleasant odors,” he is partially deprived of the pleasure of eating, and may also expose himself to the risk of eating a spoiled product.

At the same time, the world around us no longer seems as colorful as before. Therefore, it is extremely important to think about how to restore your sense of smell and taste when you have a runny nose.

The inability to distinguish odors is most often observed against the background of colds accompanied by nasal discharge (rhinitis). Depending on the degree of deterioration of the olfactory function, there are:

  • hyposmia (partial decrease in sense of smell);
  • anosmia (complete lack of sensitivity to aromatic substances).

The most common cause of hyposmia or even anosmia is acute rhinitis. It develops due to a drop in both local and general immunity and the activation of microorganisms that always live on the mucous membranes of absolutely healthy people.

Since the body loses the ability to prevent their reproduction, microorganisms infect tissues and provoke the onset of the inflammatory process.

This is accompanied by the appearance of swelling and drying of the mucous membrane. Subsequently, it is moistened by serous effusion (a special fluid that occurs when tissue is inflamed).

The amount of mucus gradually increases, the effusion partially accumulates under the upper layer of the mucosa, forming bubbles, as a result of which it can peel off and provoke the formation of erosions.

During all of these processes, the aroma receptors located in the upper nasal cavity can become blocked by mucus or damaged.

Therefore, they are unable to respond to stimuli and, therefore, transmit a signal to the brain. This explains the fact that after a runny nose, the sense of smell disappeared.

But a deterioration in the ability to smell different substances is not the only possible consequence of rhinitis. There is often a simultaneous loss of taste and smell.

The reason for this lies in the fact that very often a person involuntarily confuses taste and aroma. True taste sensations arise in response to salty, sour or sweet substances entering the tongue, since special receptors localized in different parts of the tongue are responsible for their perception.

For their full perception, the simultaneous participation of taste analyzers and olfactory receptors is required. Therefore, what a person is accustomed to consider as the taste of a dish can easily turn out to be its aroma.

Attention! If the patient has ceased to smell and there is no nasal discharge, it is necessary to consult a neurologist to rule out brain pathologies and other serious diseases.

If your sense of smell is lost: what to do in this case?

Have you really lost your sense of smell and taste? It often happens that the patient says: “I don’t smell ..”, “I don’t feel the taste or smell of food,” but in fact it turns out that this is not so.

To accurately verify the presence of hyposmia, there is even a special test in medicine - olfactometry.

Its essence consists of alternately inhaling the vapors of 4–6 odorous substances contained in labeled bottles.

The patient closes one of the nostrils with a finger, and a vessel with a substance is brought to the other at a distance of one centimeter. The patient should take one breath and answer what he feels. Traditionally used:

  • 0.5% acetic acid solution;
  • pure wine alcohol;
  • Valerian tincture;
  • ammonia.

These substances are listed in order of aroma intensification, so the degree of impairment of the olfactory function can be judged by which of them a person can smell.

A similar test can be carried out at home, even without special solutions on hand; ordinary household items and products will do.

The test consists of several stages, the transition from one to another is carried out only after successful completion of the previous one. The patient is asked to smell:

  1. Alcohol (vodka), valerian and soap.
  2. Salt and sugar.
  3. Perfume, onion, chocolate, solvent (nail polish remover), instant coffee, extinguished match.

If any of them could not be recognized, this is a clear sign of a decrease in olfactory function, and a reason to contact an ENT specialist to figure out how to restore the sense of smell and taste with a runny nose.

If your sense of smell is lost due to a runny nose or after a cold

Patients often complain that they have lost taste and smell due to a runny nose. Such symptoms may occur when:

rhinite:

  • acute;
  • chronic;
  • allergic.

acute and chronic inflammation of the paranasal sinuses:

  • sinusitis;
  • ethmoiditis;
  • frontite;
  • sphenoiditis.

Much less often, the reasons for deteriorating sense of smell are:

  • ozena;
  • scleroma;
  • polyposis

Thus, most often the perception of aromas is distorted during colds, flu and other acute respiratory infections.

Nevertheless, such common diseases accompanied by a runny nose as sinusitis, frontal sinusitis and others can also precede this.

And since they often develop against the background of a deviated nasal septum, patients are often prescribed septoplasty.

This operation, the purpose of which is to straighten the septum and normalize breathing, is necessary to eliminate the prerequisites for the persistence of inflammatory processes in the paranasal sinuses and, consequently, impaired sense of smell.

But, unfortunately, septoplaty does not guarantee the restoration of the ability to normally distinguish odors, since after it degenerative changes in the mucous membrane and the development of hyposmia or even anosmia are possible.

Although the curvature of the septum itself in no way affects a person’s ability to perceive all kinds of aromas.

Also, degenerative changes in the mucosa can occur not only as a result of septoplaty, but also after accidental damage by foreign bodies.

In such situations, they talk about the development of traumatic rhinitis. The cause of its occurrence can be not only macro objects, but also small solid particles, for example, coal, dust, metal, contained in:

It has also been noted that the acuity of smell and taste perception deteriorate with age. These changes can be called physiological, since they are caused by the “weakening” of the corresponding receptors.

But usually older people notice that their sense of smell has worsened precisely after a cold. This may be due to damage to the receptors due to the active course of the inflammatory process, which then are no longer fully restored. Therefore, after recovery, older people may complain of hyposmia.

How to restore your sense of smell?

Of course, only a specialist can give an accurate answer to this question.

A qualified doctor will be able to find the true causes of violations and quickly eliminate them.

Any self-medication can only aggravate the problem and delay the return to normal.

Therefore, despite the fact that there are various folk remedies that help cope with the problem, before you start using them, you should ask your otolaryngologist whether they can be used.

Depending on the causes of deterioration in olfactory function, your doctor may prescribe a number of medications to help restore it, including:

These drugs are classified as vasoconstrictors. Their action is based on mechanisms that eliminate swelling of the mucous membrane. But using them for more than 5–7 days is not recommended, as they become addictive and lose effectiveness.

In the worst case, medicinal rhinitis develops, accompanied by a constant runny nose, which is much more difficult to cope with than, for example, acute rhinitis.

If hyposmia is the result of allergic rhinitis, patients are prescribed antihistamines, and in more severe cases, local corticosteroids:

When sinusitis becomes the cause of hyposmia, treatment is carried out exclusively under the supervision of an ENT specialist. Any self-medication in such cases can lead to tragic consequences, since inflammation in the sinuses can provoke the development of sepsis, meningitis and other life-threatening pathologies.

Therefore, in such cases, any measures to help restore the sense of smell and taste with a runny nose must be agreed upon with an otolaryngologist.

What to do if a runny nose does not go away for a long time?

When a runny nose appears, we set ourselves up for one, maximum two, weeks of discomfort and suffering. But sometimes..

You can increase the effectiveness of the therapy prescribed by your doctor by first softening the accumulated mucus. Steam baths are ideal for this. They are done no more than 3 times a day for 20 minutes.

It would be a good idea to add a variety of medicinal herbs to hot water, for example:

For the same purpose, you can rinse your nose with saline solutions. They can be easily purchased at the pharmacy or prepared at home yourself. In the first case, you need to ask the pharmacist:

If you decide to prepare a saline solution at home, then you will need salt, preferably sea salt without flavorings, and purified water. 2 g of salt are thoroughly dissolved in a glass of warm, pre-boiled water. The procedure is carried out with a large amount of the resulting liquid, following simple rules:

  1. The patient lies on his side.
  2. Liquid is injected into the nostril on top from a special dispenser or using a syringe without a needle in a sufficiently large amount so that it flows out of the lower nostril.
  3. Repeat the procedure, turning over to the opposite side.

Sometimes doctors advise patients to supplement their treatment with:

  • light massage;
  • breathing exercises;
  • magnetotherapy;
  • Ural Federal District;
  • laser therapy, etc.

Many people, having a cold, continue to smoke. Of course, it’s not worth talking about how to restore your sense of smell without giving up this bad habit at least temporarily.

How to treat loss of smell with folk remedies?

Here are popular ways to restore the ability to perceive odors:

Inhalations with lemon and essential oil of mint or lavender. To prepare the medicinal mixture, pour a glass of boiling water into a wide container, add 10 drops of lemon juice and a couple of drops of the selected oil.

Breathe over this mixture for 4-5 minutes, trying to take quick breaths, but being careful, since such forced breathing can lead to dizziness. If desired, mint can be replaced with an alcohol solution of menthol. Usually 5 procedures are enough to restore your sense of smell and taste. They are carried out once a day.

The most common way to carry out such procedures is to inhale the vapors from freshly boiled potatoes.

A cotton swab soaked in a mixture of propolis, butter and vegetable oil is inserted into each nasal passage. To prepare it, you need to mix equal amounts of oils with three times less volume of propolis. Tampons are left in the nose for a quarter of an hour. The manipulation is carried out twice a day.

However, in most cases, restoration of the sense of smell and the ability to distinguish odors occurs independently within a few weeks after suffering an infectious disease.

If desired, this process can be accelerated using the above methods, but deciding how to restore the sense of smell and taste during a runny nose should only be done together with a doctor.

How to restore your sense of smell and taste with a runny nose: video

Share with friends

Add a comment Cancel reply

Specialty: Otorhinolaryngologist Work experience: 12 years

Specialty: Otorhinolaryngologist Work experience: 8 years

Source: http://nasmorkam.net/propalo-obonjanie-i-vkus-chto-delat/

How to restore the sense of taste and smell during a cold?

Many people are faced with a phenomenon where the ability to perceive smells and tastes noticeably decreases or disappears altogether.

To those who are not familiar with this condition, all this may seem like something insignificant. But in fact, the loss of taste and smell greatly complicates life, makes it dull and insipid, which greatly affects the emotional state.

Mechanism of perception of smells and tastes

Each of us perceives odors through sensitive cells that are located in the mucous membrane deep in the nasal cavity. The signal travels through nerve channels to the brain, which processes the information.

Taste buds are located in the oral cavity. Salty, sour, sweet or bitter are perceived by special papillae of the tongue. Each group occupies its own zone and is responsible for the perception of a particular taste. All taste sensations are also analyzed by the brain.

Loss of smell in medical terms is anosmia. If a person has ceased to perceive tastes, this is called augesia.

The nerve fibers of both analyzers are closely connected. Therefore, a missing sense of smell often leads to changes in taste sensations, familiar dishes are perceived inadequately, because... It seems to us that food does not have the usual taste. But in reality, we are simply not able to detect the aroma of a dish.

The most common causes of disorders of taste and olfactory perception

The most common reason that we stop perceiving the smell and taste of food is a cold, but it may not be the only culprit. It is very important to determine the origin of symptoms in time in order to prescribe the correct therapy.

Acute inflammation, swelling and accumulation of mucus occur with a common cold, which provokes the development of pathogenic flora, which is always present in the body, or the penetration of viruses and bacteria into the body. When unfavorable conditions arise and the general weakening of the immune system, pathogens multiply quickly. The sinuses, when fighting infection, produce mucus, which is designed to combat the deeper penetration of pathogens.

Loss of smell and the inability to enjoy food can have several reasons:

  1. dysfunction of the muscles working in the walls of the nasal vessels. This effect is observed in those who abuse drops for the common cold. They do not have a therapeutic effect, but only affect the symptoms, so they are not recommended for use for more than 5 days. After this period, vasoconstrictor agents begin to negatively affect the condition of the mucous membrane, as a result of which our olfactory abilities are impaired;
  2. allergy. It causes severe swelling and profuse nasal discharge, which leads to loss of smell;
  3. contact with irritants. Some substances or even products can act as provocateurs. You may lose your sense of smell or taste after contact with garlic or vinegar. Olfactory dysfunction often occurs when using chemical cleaning products with a strong odor. The functioning of the receptors in the nasal mucosa is also disrupted when they are exposed to cigarette smoke;
  4. hormonal disbalance. The perception of taste and smell sometimes changes during menstruation or pregnancy, or taking oral contraceptives. Such changes are temporary and usually go away on their own;

congenital and acquired anatomical defects. This should include polyps, adenoids, various inflammations, and individual structural features of the nasal septum. Surgery can solve some of these problems;

  • mechanical damage. They arise not only as a result of extensive trauma, but also due to exposure to small particles: metal or wood shavings, dust, etc.;
  • age-related changes;
  • CNS disorders.

    • Loss of sensation due to nervous disorders

    Has several gradations:

    • complete loss of sensation (anosmia);
    • illusory perception of surrounding odors (cacosmia);
    • partial perception, capturing only strong odors (hyposmia);
    • highly heightened sense of smell (hyperosmia).

    All problems associated with the sense of smell are usually caused by reasons that can be classified into two groups: peripheral action and central action. For the first group, the cause is pathologies arising in the nasal cavity. The second are the consequences of disruption of the brain, as well as the olfactory nerve under the influence of various diseases or age.

    Loss of taste and smell after a cold or due to other reasons can lead to a state of apathy or increased irritability. Many resort to symptomatic treatment.

    But to effectively fight to restore sensitivity and normalize the functioning of the receptors in the nasal cavity and mouth, you need to follow medical recommendations. Only a doctor can accurately determine why the sense of smell and taste is lost and give the right advice on how to restore them.

    You especially need to be wary if the person who has lost sensitivity does not have a runny nose. You may need the help of a neurologist to diagnose possible brain pathologies or other serious diseases.

    Methods to combat loss of sensitivity

    The attending physician knows best how to restore the sense of taste and smell during a cold.

    Sometimes it is necessary to conduct a special test, which is designed to determine how right the patient is when he says: “I don’t feel the taste of food...” or “The sense of smell has disappeared...” The test consists of asking the patient in turn to inhale the contents of bottles containing strong-smelling substances. A vinegar solution, valerian tincture, and ammonia are usually poured there.

    At home, in the experiment, you can use those liquids and products that are on hand: alcohol, perfume or paint thinner, a burnt match. If the patient is still unable to smell each subsequent smell, then we can conclude that he has a problem.

    To figure out how to restore your sense of smell and the ability to enjoy food, you definitely need an otolaryngologist.

    Traditional treatment

    If the doctor determines that the cause of excessive mucous discharge is a cold, sinusitis, viral infections, or allergies, vasoconstrictors are prescribed. On the 3-5th day of using the appropriate drops or spray, you usually feel a significant improvement in nasal breathing. Over time, the patient will notice that his sense of smell is gradually restored.

    A runny nose caused by a virus infection occurs in most cases. It responds well to symptomatic treatment. The patient is advised to drink plenty of warm fluids, administer saline and antiviral agents.

    If the cause of the malaise is a bacterial infection, then antibiotics will be required. Allergic rhinitis can be treated with antihistamines.

    All of the methods described above eliminate the cause of the disease. But how can you restore your sense of smell and taste if your nose is stuffy? It is necessary to clear the respiratory system of accumulated thickened mucus.

    For this, a ready-made preparation or a simple saline solution, which is easy to make at home, is suitable. Take 1 tsp. salt (preferably sea salt), stir it in warm boiled water (1 glass). You will also need a syringe. The resulting filtered solution is taken there and both nostrils are washed alternately over the sink so that the water enters one nostril and flows out of the other. It is advisable to carry out the procedure 2-3 times a day.

    How to relieve the condition

    What other methods can be resorted to, what can be done to alleviate the patient’s condition? He is shown:

    • Hot shower. The nasal passages are well cleaned by steam. After a shower, you need to wrap yourself up well and go to bed.
    • Air humidification. Try to maintain room humidity within 60-65%. To do this, you can hang a wet cloth on the steam heating radiator or use a humidifier purchased in a store.
    • Lots of warm liquid. Teas, compotes, fruit drinks, and not very rich chicken broth are suitable.
    • Physiotherapy, laser therapy, magnetic therapy. Inhalations using drugs containing hydrocortisone will help.
    • Use of immunomodulatory agents.
    • A good help is massage and breathing exercises.

    How to restore lost taste sensations? The best answer to this question can be obtained from a specialist. Doctors usually prescribe medications containing erythromycin if the bacterial or viral nature of the ailment is identified, as well as artificial saliva preparations if there is a deficiency of it.

    Folk remedies

    The advantage of traditional medicine is that it uses only natural substances. These recipes can also be used in addition to drug treatment. Here are the simplest ones:

    • Inhalations. Add 10 drops of lemon juice and one of the essential oils to a glass of boiling water: mint, lavender, fir or eucalyptus. Treatment lasts from 5 to 10 days, one procedure per day. Inhalations over hot potatoes, chamomile and sage decoctions are also very popular.
    • Oil drops. Menthol and camphor oils are usually used in equal proportions or basil oil.
    • Turunda. 2 times a day, cotton swabs soaked in butter and vegetable oil in equal parts plus three times less propolis are placed in the nasal passages.
    • Drops. Based on honey and beet juice (1:3), peach oil, mumiyo (10:1).
    • Warming up. Only if the doctor who determined the cause of the disease does not prohibit it, because warming up is not always useful.
    • Balm “Star”. It is recommended to lubricate certain points.

    To restore taste they also use:

    • Herbal inhalations.
    • Drink. Milk with honey helps a lot.
    • Garlic decoction. Boil 200 ml of water, boil 4 cloves of garlic in it for 2-3 minutes, add a little salt and drink hot.

    Impatient patients often ask the question: “How quickly can I recover when I again feel all the shades of smells and tastes?” A doctor will never be able to answer such questions with certainty. How long it will take a person to get back to normal depends on the individual characteristics of each person.

    Prevention

    Prevention will help you avoid problems. In order not to ask the doctor about why the sense of smell or sense of taste disappears, diseases of the nasopharynx should be treated in a timely manner, and in case of chronic runny nose, hygiene procedures should not be neglected.

    And also follow the traditional advice about eating healthy food, getting rid of bad habits, walking and exercising in the fresh air. It is always better to prevent the occurrence of a disease than to treat it for a long time.

    Source: http://respiratornie-bolezni.com/prostuda/kak-vernut-vkus-i-zapah-pri-prostude.html