Lost sense of smell with a runny nose

Lost sense of smell during a runny nose

Causes

When you have a runny nose, air access to the olfactory receptors is blocked. This means that air particles carrying aroma, due to snot, have difficulty penetrating into these places, resulting in loss of smell and taste.

Table of contents:

People who suffer from chronic runny nose, sinusitis and sinusitis are especially susceptible to this condition. Adenoids, polyps, allergies, nasal septum defects and neoplasms in the nasal cavity significantly worsen the situation.

Viral infection

A decrease in the sense of smell always occurs in the second phase of a runny nose during a viral infection, when nasal itching and sneezing are replaced by copious liquid discharge and congestion. This happens for two reasons:

  1. The secretions envelop the walls of the nose, preventing air from entering them.
  2. Some viruses block the functioning of receptors.

Sinusitis

If, a week after the cold, the condition worsened, the temperature began to rise, the sense of smell and taste disappeared, persistent nasal congestion and headaches appeared, the disease may have been complicated by sinusitis (sinusitis). Sinusitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the paranasal sinuses. The mucous membrane of the sinuses swells, the secretion stagnates and turns into pus.

Microorganisms that cause sinusitis destroy the epithelium, so taste and smell signals simply stop reaching the brain. This is the cause of loss of smell.

Overdose of nasal drops

Vasoconstrictor drops can be dripped no more often than every 4–6 hours and no more than 3–4 times a day. The duration of treatment for most drugs is 3 days. But it is not uncommon for people to abuse these medications and instill them often and in large quantities.

With prolonged and frequent use of vasoconstrictor drugs, the muscular layer of the nasal vessels ceases to function independently, and the nutrition of the vessel wall is disrupted.

You can also dry out the nasal mucosa by irrationally using astringent drops - Collargol and Protargol.

Allergy

The sense of smell may disappear temporarily during an allergic rhinitis. This happens due to swelling and an abundance of liquid secretions, which prevent air from coming into contact with the olfactory receptors.

If the sense of smell has disappeared due to allergies, then first of all you need to get rid of it with the help of antihistamines and hormonal drugs.

Hormonal disorders

It’s not scary if the sense of smell has disappeared during pregnancy (against the background of vasomotor runny nose), menstruation, or after taking oral contraceptives. The reason for this is hormonal changes, after which everything returns to normal.

Anatomical changes in the nasal cavity

The cause of loss of smell may be changes in the nasal cavity, accompanied by discharge:

  • polyps;
  • adenoids;
  • large curvature of the nasal septum;
  • tumors;
  • hypertrophy of the nasal concha.

To restore your sense of smell, you need to get rid of the listed anatomical defects. It is possible that this is only possible with the help of surgery.

Poisons and chemicals

The sense of smell and taste disappears in people who work in the production of toxic substances and come into contact with paint and varnish products, petroleum products, vapors of various acids, etc. This condition, called anosmia, or complete loss of sense of smell, may or may not be accompanied by a runny nose.

In addition, active and passive smokers also often complain that they have lost their sense of smell. Receptors can die completely, and it can be almost impossible to restore their original functions.

Treatment

To get rid of this scourge, you need to eliminate a runny nose and improve the flow of mucus from the nasal cavity.

First of all, you need to limit yourself to using nasal drops. Instead, it is better to use physical procedures, for example, electrophoresis, phonophoresis, UV irradiation of the nose and pharynx, bioptron. If you urgently need to improve your breathing, you need to accustom yourself to using saline solutions, which are good at eliminating the symptoms and causes of the disease. The minerals and natural components they contain significantly improve the functioning of the nasal mucosa.

Medical recommendations

  1. You need to do gymnastics every day - strain and relax your nasal muscles for ten minutes. You need to keep your nose tense for at least a minute.
  2. Massage the wings of the nose.
  3. If the sense of smell has disappeared and there is a loss of taste, you need to do warm-ups. It is recommended to warm your nose with a blue lamp; if you don’t have one, you can use a regular student lamp. Warming is carried out at a distance of 25 cm, warm for 10 minutes, once a day for a week.
  4. Rinse your nose daily with pharmaceutical saline solutions - Delphi, Aquamaris, Humer.
  5. You can drip Pinosol oil drops into your nose.

Attention! For treatment, it is prohibited to use vasoconstrictor drops, sprays and combination drops containing a vasoconstrictor component (Polydex, Vibrocil).

Traditional methods

  • You need to do steam inhalations over water with the addition of lemon juice, lavender and mint oil. Do them daily, the number of procedures is 10. For inhalation, you can prepare a decoction of sage, calendula, nettle or mint, with the addition of fresh garlic juice. You need to cover your head with a blanket and breathe over the steam for 15 minutes.
  • Insert cotton swabs soaked in honey into your nose for 20 minutes.
  • If your sense of smell has disappeared, you can breathe over the smoke from burning wormwood, garlic or onion peels.
  • Inhaling pungent odors: horseradish, onions, mustard will help restore the taste.
  • It is useful to inhale the vapors of menthol oil or Star balm.
  • Make hot foot baths with the addition of mustard, eucalyptus, and pepper. They improve blood circulation, effectively cope with runny nose and congestion, and drive away colds, especially if you take hot baths before bed.

Prevention

To avoid losing your sense of smell and taste, you need to take care of your health and follow the following recommendations:

  • do not delay treatment of runny nose and colds;
  • during an epidemic of viral diseases, rinse your nose with saline solutions, decoctions of chamomile, and calendula;
  • avoid contact with allergens if allergies are diagnosed;
  • take care of strengthening the immune system;
  • when working with harmful substances, use protective masks and respirators;
  • follow safety rules when playing sports.

Loss of smell after a runny nose does not always occur and not in everyone. It is not normal and requires treatment. Therefore, if your sense of smell has disappeared and has not recovered a couple of months after recovery, then it is not recommended to hesitate - you need to go to an ENT doctor.

  • Sinusitis (32)
  • Nasal congestion (18)
  • Medicines (32)
  • Treatment (9)
  • Folk remedies (13)
  • Runny nose (41)
  • Other (18)
  • Rhinosinusitis (2)
  • Sinusitis (11)
  • Snot (26)
  • Frontit (4)

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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. 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.).

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

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

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Specialty: Otorhinolaryngologist Work experience: 12 years

Specialty: Otorhinolaryngologist Work experience: 8 years

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Lost sense of smell after a long runny nose: how to restore

For many people, as a result of nasal congestion, the ability to smell various smells disappears for some time. If a person has lost their sense of smell due to a runny nose, they should cure the cold and wait a few days for the olfactory function to recover on its own.

Causes

Due to colds, which are accompanied by nasal discharge, a person may lose their sense of smell, taste, and hearing acuity may decrease. Allergic rhinitis can also cause a person to lack a sense of smell. The main causes of sudden loss of smell are the inflammatory process and swelling of the nasal mucosa due to influenza, sinusitis, hay fever, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis and other diseases of the nasal cavity. Sometimes a person loses their sense of smell due to uncontrolled use of nasal drops.

Classification of smell disorders:

  • anosmia – complete insensitivity to smells;
  • hyposmia – partial loss of smell;
  • cacosmia – perverted perception of smells;
  • hypersomia – heightened sensitivity to odors.

Loss of smell or its decrease can be congenital or acquired. Congenital pathologies arise due to the abnormal structure of the nose, underdevelopment of the olfactory center in the brain, and impaired development of the olfactory nerve. Acquired loss of smell may be of peripheral or central origin.

Types of peripheral anosmia:

  • functional – occurs due to viral infections during colds and allergic rhinitis;
  • respiratory - appears with adenoids, polyps, tumors, deviated nasal septum, when the smell cannot reach the olfactory analyzer;
  • age-related – occurs as a result of atrophic changes in the nasal mucosa;
  • essential – the olfactory organ is affected due to injury, burn, inflammation, tumor.

A decrease in the sense of smell due to damage to the central nervous system occurs in the following diseases:

  • meningitis;
  • traumatic brain injury;
  • Alzheimer's disease;
  • encephalopathy;
  • arachnoiditis;
  • meningioma, etc.

Important! If you lose your sense of smell, you should seek help from a specialist. This simple violation may be a signal of a dangerous disease that should be diagnosed and treated as quickly as possible.

Treatment

In medical practice, there are no treatments or medications that would restore a person’s sense of smell. Diseases due to which the patient has lost the ability to distinguish odors are subject to therapeutic treatment. If the nose is stuffy due to a runny nose, the patient is prescribed decongestion drops and corticosteroids. The use of medications does not guarantee restoration of smell. Physiotherapy and inhalations are aimed only at eliminating nasal congestion.

Loss of smell due to a runny nose is a natural phenomenon; the sense of smell can be restored within one week.

Important! During pregnancy, women experience hyposmia, which goes away over time without treatment.

What to do if after 7 days your sense of smell has not returned? Most likely, the reason for its absence was polyps, a tumor, or diseases of the central nervous system that occur without a runny nose.

Before starting treatment, a test called olfactometry is done. The patient is asked to alternately inhale vapors of four odorous substances and guess their names. Traditionally, testing is carried out using vinegar, wine alcohol, valerian and ammonia. The level of impairment of the olfactory ability is judged by what smell the patient can smell.

At home, you can independently test your ability to smell different odors. To do this, it is recommended to smell alcohol, valerian, nail polish remover, vinegar, perfume, coffee, or an extinguished match. If a certain smell could not be detected, this means that the person’s olfactory sensations have decreased.

Loss of smell is treated by an otolaryngologist. You can restore your sense of smell, which has temporarily disappeared, with the help of the following medications:

Vasoconstrictor medications quickly eliminate swelling of the mucous membrane. They can be used for 5 days, but not longer, so as not to cause addiction or medicinal rhinitis. The patient is also prescribed rinsing of the nasal cavity with saline solutions and drugs containing silver - Collargol or Protargol - are instilled into the nose. If the loss of smell is caused by allergic rhinitis, then the patient is prescribed antihistamines: Telfast, Suprastin, Claritin. Some doctors prescribe zinc supplements and vitamins A and B to treat anosmia.

Important! If the cause of anosmia is polyps or tumors in the nose, doctors often immediately resort to surgery. If the sense of smell is lost due to a tumor in the brain, then such a disease is treated with surgery, radiation or chemotherapy.

Physiotherapy and folk remedies

In a hospital setting, you can undergo a number of physical procedures, for example, magnetic therapy, laser therapy, and ultraviolet radiation. At home, anosmia is treated with inhalations using essential oils and medicinal herbs. You can breathe over hot boiled potatoes or boiled water with the addition of lemon balm, mint, and lavender oils.

Inhalation recipe

Place the herbs in a saucepan and pour boiling water over them. Boil the broth for five minutes. Let it brew for 10 minutes. Add a few drops of tea tree or lavender essential oil. You need to breathe warm steam for 10 minutes.

It is useful to regularly rinse the nasopharynx with saline solutions. Take 1 tsp per glass of water. salt. For rinsing, you can use decoctions of medicinal herbs (linden, chamomile, string, sage, calendula) or a few drops of iodine. The nose is washed using a special pharmaceutical watering can or a syringe without a needle. You can buy ready-made nasal rinsing sprays: Aqua Maris, No-sol, Aqualor, Quicks.

Propolis and oil

The sense of smell can be restored with the help of propolis and butter. To do this, add a pinch of propolis (3:1) to the soft oil and mix everything until smooth. Soak cotton pads with oil cream and place them in the nostrils for 10 minutes. Treatment is carried out before bedtime.

You can restore your sense of smell using aloe juice, diluted in half with water. Soak cotton swabs in the mixture and insert them into the nose for 10 minutes. The nostrils can be lubricated with liquid honey.

Breathing exercises are also useful. To do this, you need to alternately strain and relax your nose for several minutes. Shock therapy helps well, when the patient takes turns inhaling various pungent odors, for example, Vishnevsky ointment, garlic, turpentine.

Consequences

Due to the lack of smell, a person will not be able to detect a gas leak in an apartment or determine by smell how spoiled the food is. This pathology can lead to poisoning. People with anosmia may still have taste but no response to smells.

Partial loss of smell leads to lack of appetite and depression. People with anosmia cannot smell the smell of flowers or perfumes. They are unable to remember pleasant moments from their lives associated with smells, and this is fraught with emotional disorders.

Prevention

To avoid loss of smell, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle, eat right, exercise, and try not to get colds. If a runny nose appears, you need to treat it in time and not let it run. Alcohol and smoking, staying in an environment hazardous to health, breathing harmful fumes, acids, varnishes, and gases have a negative effect on the sense of smell. It is necessary to protect yourself with special masks, use gas masks, and respirators.

Every person needs to smell. Without them, human life cannot be complete. If you lose your sense of smell as a result of a runny nose, you need to cure the cold and wait a few days for your olfactory functions to be restored.

Questions and answers:

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Pinosol drops help a lot

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Lost sense of smell with a runny nose: what to do?

Sometimes the course of a runny nose in a person is accompanied by a lack of perception of smells and even taste sensations. This problem requires consultation with a specialist, an otolaryngologist. A medical examination and recommendations will help eliminate the unpleasant consequences of rhinitis as soon as possible.

What types of smell disorders do doctors identify?

Before prescribing a regimen of treatment procedures and medications, the doctor must determine which of the known types of disorders the patient’s lack of perception of smells belongs to. Medicine distinguishes this disorder into the following types:

  1. Hyposomia (when the sense of smell is partially preserved, the patient poorly recognizes aromas that are not clearly expressed).
  2. Hypersomia (when the sense of smell is present, but in an acute form).
  3. Cacosmia (the disorder does not go along with respiratory diseases, a rare type of disorder when the patient is unpleasant to the normal smell).
  4. Anosmia (when the sense of smell is completely absent, often occurs due to infection, or as a consequence of a stroke).

The absence or distortion of a person’s sense of smell is the cause of dysfunction in the form of depression, increased irritability and similar manifestations.

For what reasons does the sense of smell disappear along with a runny nose and what to do?

The main cause of loss of smell is inflamed and swollen nasal mucosa. The mucous membrane becomes inflamed during colds, infection of the body with infectious viruses, as a manifestation of an allergic reaction, rhinitis, sinusitis and other nasal diseases, when there is a functional disorder of the normal state of the mucous membrane. Neglecting the instructions for using nasal drops can also cause loss of the sense of smell.

Usually, the sense of smell lost during a runny nose returns to a person within a few days after recovery, during the recovery period. It should be remembered that panic and nervousness can slow down the body’s recovery after illness. If taste and smell have not returned during this time, you should undergo a diagnostic examination at a medical facility.

Traditional treatment for smell problems

The treatment regimen is determined by the otolaryngologist after determining the diagnosis. As a rule, it includes general and local therapy. When the sense of smell has not returned after a runny nose, treatment procedures begin with eliminating the causes of difficulty in nasal breathing. If swelling of the nasal mucosa persists, so-called vasoconstrictor drops (for example, naphthyzin or similar ones) are prescribed. The nasal cavity is washed with the most common saline solutions, and protargol (collarol) - silver solutions - is instilled.

Surgical intervention is indicated when persistent nasal congestion and severe swelling of the mucous membrane are the result of an anatomical defect (in this case we are talking about polyps, adenoids). As practice shows, a cold only aggravates a chronic process.

Immunocorrection, which is part of the treatment regimen, is designed to eliminate the possibility of relapse of the disease. These are homeopathic remedies, echinacea preparations, imudon, kagocel and the like.

In some cases, the patient is given a novocaine blockade or injections of a hydrocortisone suspension in the form of endonasal injections. Oral administration of drugs containing valerian, motherwort, and bromine is prescribed.

Physiotherapeutic procedures also give good results in the treatment of lack of smell. They practice laser therapy, magnetic therapy, UHF, ultraviolet radiation, inhalation, and electrophoresis.

The listed medications and procedures quite effectively eliminate the causes of impaired sense of smell.

Traditional methods in the fight to regain the sense of smell

An alternative to official medicine is always folk recipes based on medicinal herbs and the properties of natural foods. The following treatment methods are practiced for smell dysfunction.

The juice is squeezed out of fresh grated horseradish root. Dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:10. The resulting solution is instilled into each nasal passage, 2 drops, twice a day. A positive result occurs on the third day of use. If such a concentration of juice causes a burning sensation in the nasal mucosa, the recipe should not be used.

A medicinal mixture for inhalation can be based on boiled potatoes, essential oils (lavender, eucalyptus, fir, basil), infusions of anti-inflammatory herbs (calendula, chamomile, pine buds).

The hot vapors are inhaled through the nose for 5 to 7 minutes. For home procedures, a kitchen pan or a special nebulizer inhalation device, sold in pharmacies, is used. The device has the advantage of having different nozzles for the procedure, which deliver steam exactly to the destination without loss along the way.

Infusions from medicinal raw materials are prepared in advance at the rate of 1 tablespoon of crushed herbs per glass of boiling water. Infusion time ranges from 20 to 40 minutes. For inhalation, use a strained solution.

Essential oils are added to hot water immediately before the procedure in a volume of 5-7 drops per recommended serving of water.

Inhalations with lemon and essential oils

For a glass of boiling water, take 10 drops of fresh lemon juice and 3 drops of essential oil. Breathe over the pan or nebulizer with sharp breaths. The interval between procedures is at least 24 hours.

Nasal drops based on camphor and menthol

The therapeutic effect consists of a very pungent odor, which has a beneficial effect on stimulating the weakened sense of smell. The composition is prepared immediately before use and consists of equal parts of menthol and camphor oils. Place 3 drops in each nasal passage twice a day. The duration of treatment is 7 days; when improvement occurs, stop taking the drops.

To restore your sense of smell, you can use the pungent smell of other foods: garlic, onions, vinegar, ammonia, coffee beans.

Rinsing the nose with iodine-saline solution

Use sea salt in a proportion of 10 grams per 100 ml of water, stir and add iodine in the amount of 4 drops. The solution is mixed well until smooth. Wash each nostril twice a day with 1 ml of solution. Injected into the nasal passages using a disposable 2 ml syringe.

Beetroot - honey drops

Fresh beet juice is mixed with half a teaspoon of quality honey. Instill 3 times a day, 2-5 drops into each nasal passage. The product can be used to treat runny nose in children.

A widely known Vietnamese remedy is used to lightly lubricate the bridge of the nose, frontal and maxillary sinuses, and wings of the nose. It is not recommended to lubricate the nasal mucosa. The procedure is repeated for no more than 5 days.

Turundas soaked in medicinal agent

Turundas are prepared from a sterile bandage in the form of small twisted wicks. A “wick” generously lubricated with the medicinal composition is placed deep into the nasal passages for 5-15 minutes. At this time, breathing occurs through the mouth. Usually the procedure is performed before bedtime. The following is used as a medicinal composition:

  • Natural honey has a liquid consistency (for children, mix with an equal amount of butter).
  • Aqueous solution of propolis.
  • Aloe juice with water in an arbitrary ratio (so as not to heat).
  • Kalanchoe juice, diluted in half with water.
If an allergic reaction is observed, stop using the medication. To relieve allergy symptoms, suprastin or another similar medicine is recommended.

An integrated approach to restoring the sense of smell

Systemic treatment often produces faster positive results than individual procedures. A set of measures for the treatment of anosmia and hyposomia due to colds is as follows:

  • Instilling cabbage juice.
  • Massage movements in the area of ​​the paranasal sinuses, bridge of the nose and wings of the nose.
  • Coniferous aromatherapy (30 minutes daily).
  • Inhaling the smell of smoldering wormwood.
  • Tension and relaxation in the nasal passages.
  • Swimming.
  • Departure to the resort.
  • Breathe the air of coniferous forests, the sea, and reservoirs with a high iodine content.
  • Rest for the nervous system.

To overcome the disease, the use of one medicine is often not enough. It is necessary to help the body eliminate factors predisposing it. The use of the above methods and means is aimed at solving this problem.

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Source: http://howtogetrid.ru/propalo-obonyanie-pri-nasmorke-chto-delat/

Loss of smell with a runny nose - what to do?

If rhinitis becomes protracted, the mucous membrane of the nasal passages loses its former sensitivity, and the sense of smell noticeably decreases. The lost sense of smell does not return immediately; additional conservative therapy is required, which can be done at home. In any case, before returning your sense of smell with a runny nose, it is important to understand what the pathological process is, why it occurs, and how it can be prevented in a timely manner.

General information about the problem

As you know, a cold causes a severe runny nose, which, from the moment the first symptoms appear, provokes increased swelling of the mucous membrane and a change (thickening) in its structure. Accordingly, the receptors of the nasal passages lose their sensitivity and are less susceptible to smells and aromas. This abnormal condition is temporary, but in complicated clinical pictures it can remain until the end of life, as an unpleasant consequence of a once recurrent illness.

The second trouble with rhinitis is the accumulation of a large amount of mucus, which not only disrupts nasal breathing, but also reduces the quality of sleep, suppresses taste and smell. In the absence of intensive therapy, its viscosity increases and a thick consistency occurs, and the problem can be one-sided or two-sided. The affected person does not understand the taste of food, and the sense of smell does not return even after forced cleaning of the inflamed nasal passages.

Loss of smell during a runny nose should alert the patient; moreover, it is important to respond to such an unpleasant symptom in a timely manner. Before choosing home treatment, you should consult with your local physician. Otherwise, potential allergic reactions cause dry mucous membranes, irritation, and lack of positive dynamics. Taking vasoconstrictor drugs exclusively may not be enough; an integrated approach to the problem is indicated.

Classification of the disease

Before restoring your sense of smell, it is important to understand in detail why the characteristic symptoms arose. This is important to prevent its occurrence in the future and eliminate complications. Such an unpleasant symptom has the following classification, which precisely determines the optimal intensive care regimen at home and in a hospital setting. This:

  1. Anosmia. Complete loss of sensitivity as a result of a long-term inflammatory process. Symptoms may be preceded by polyps, tumors, infections, and long-term use of antibiotics.
  2. Hyposmia. Temporary loss of smell, as a consequence of an allergic reaction, the result of the removal of polyps, a complication of the inflammatory process. The presence of mucus gives hope that this symptom is temporary, but an increase in viscosity only aggravates the course of the disease.

In both clinical pictures, the patient does not perceive odors, and whether they return depends entirely on his further actions and timely response measures.

Pathogenic factors

It is difficult to determine therapeutic measures if it is not known why the sense of smell disappears. If this is a one-time event, do not panic - the signs of a cold will soon completely disappear. When the pathological process reminds itself again and again, it’s time to seriously think about possible pathogenic factors. Alternatively, it could be:

  • viral infections;
  • allergic reaction;
  • inflammation of the paranasal sinuses;
  • chronic pathologies of the nasal mucosa;
  • anatomical abnormalities of the nasal septum;
  • ARVI, acute respiratory infections, flu, colds;
  • a consequence of taking medications.

If the sense of smell is lost during a runny nose for one of the above reasons, the first step is to eliminate the potential “aggressor”, and only then begin productive treatment. Since other unpleasant symptoms appear during a runny nose, intensive therapy is aimed at suppressing them as well.

Basic treatment methods

The first rule is that treatment must be started in a timely manner. Therefore, you should not hesitate with an unscheduled visit to an otolaryngologist for a detailed diagnosis. It is this highly specialized specialist who will clearly explain what to do in such a clinical picture, how to quickly get rid of alarming symptoms. There are several ways to restore your sense of smell and taste when you have a runny nose, starting with taking vasoconstrictor medications and ending with effective health recipes from alternative medicine. Here is the treatment suggested by the attending physician:

  1. Taking vasoconstrictor drugs nasally. These are drops, aerosols, sprays, for example, Rinozolin, Nazol, Nazivin, Nasonex, Naphthyzin. Superficial self-medication with such medications is strictly prohibited. This is the answer to the question of how to restore taste, but the treatment is very lengthy.
  2. Home inhalations are also an effective method that productively restores the sense of smell. Such affordable procedures should be carried out at home, the duration of one session is no more than 7 minutes, after which you should not go outside or be exposed to drafts. For the medicinal solution, use potatoes, essential oils of eucalyptus and mint, and camphor oil.
  3. If the sense of smell and taste has disappeared, you can use rinsing of the nasal passages. This can be a saline solution, a decoction of chamomile or other medicinal plants. The return of odors will be gradual, but if the procedures are performed regularly, the result will really be pleasant.
  4. You can restore your sense of smell after a runny nose using physiotherapeutic methods, for example, in a hospital setting, undergo a full course of magnetic therapy, inhalations, ultraviolet irradiation, laser therapy. Recovery is gradual, and the method is rather auxiliary to the use of vasoconstrictors. The problem of not feeling the taste will be solved soon.
  5. Nasal massage and breathing exercises will help quickly restore your sense of taste and smell. If the actions are carried out correctly, medical recommendations are followed, food will regain its taste, and the olfactory reflex will become the norm in everyday life. How long the treatment will take is an individual question.

These are the actions taken by patients if their sense of smell is lost after a runny nose. The sooner you start treatment, the faster you will begin to feel the “smell of the surrounding world.” If you ignore the rules of intensive care, “tasteless life” will become a complication of a characteristic illness.

Preventive actions

Despite the fact that the sense of smell will be restored gradually, it is better not to allow such relapses. Prevention is of great importance, so every conscious person should know about such events. So:

  1. In order not to lose the taste reflex, it is necessary to avoid prolonged hypothermia of the body.
  2. The first signs of a cold should be treated with plenty of fluids, and symptoms such as a progressive runny nose should not be ignored.
  3. Before treating the disease, make sure that there is no allergic reaction to the chosen medications.
  4. Do not contact people with colds, avoid crowded places during seasonal epidemics.
  5. Treat colds, sinusitis, laryngitis, tonsillitis, rhinitis of all forms and aggravated allergic reactions in a timely manner.

If the patient begins to feel the first symptoms of illness, it is necessary to receive timely treatment. For example, when the aroma of perfume no longer seems sharp and rich, and a runny nose interferes with sleeping, breathing and speaking; It's time to think seriously. If you ignore this sign of the disease, all persistent odors will soon cease to smell. In any case, when the sense of smell has disappeared due to a runny nose, a visit to an otolaryngologist is mandatory. The doctor will definitely help.

Source: http://noslor.ru/nasmork/poterya-obonyaniya.html