4. • OBSTRUCTION OF NASAL PASSAGES
• BONY DEFORMITY IN NOSE
• NASAL POLYPS
• TUMORS
• DAMAGE TO BRAIN
• DAMAGE TO OLFACTORY PATHWAY
(Mayo Clinic, n.d)
5. 1. LOSS OF SMELL, TEPORARY OR PERMANENTLY
2. CAUSED BY DEFECT IN OLFACTORY PASSAGE OR DAMAGE TO BRAIN
3. THESE CAN BE CAUSED FROM DISEASES OR EXTERNAL EVENTS THAT INJURE THE BRAIN
7. •
•
•
• ANTIBIOTICS CAN BE GIVEN
• OBSTRUCTIONS OF NASAL PASSAGES
• CAN BE REMOVED VIA SURGERY
• ANOSMIA FROM OLD AGE
• IF OVER 60 IT IS LIKELY ANOSMIA IS PERMANENT AND CAN'T BE TREATED
8. •
•
•
• SOME THINGS YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO TASTE AT ALL
9. • SADNESS
• INABILITY TO OBTAIN PLEASURE FROM EATING THINGS ONE ENJOYS THE TASTE OF
• LACK OF INTEREST TO EAT
• FEELING ISOLATED FROM THOSE WHO CAN TASTE AND SMELL NORMALLY
• EMOTIONAL BLUNTING
• EXPRESSING LESS EMOTIONS OVERALL VERBALLY, AND PHYSICALLY THROUGH FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
(Chem Senses., 1999)
Anosmia is a sensory related illness that prevents an individual form being able to smell, which also affects ones ability to taste things. Anosmia can be temporary or permanent, but is most commonly temporary unless caused by old age which is to be expected. Most commonly in some way air is obstructed from reaching the olfactory region, resulting in being unable to smell things.
There are many causes for Anosmia but these are the most common ways of losing the ability to smell. The aging process on its own causes Anosmia and is a normal process expected to occur around the age of 60. Common colds, hay fevers from allergy's, the influenza virus, and non-allergy based hay fever are other ways of obtaining Anosmia that are also relatively common.
There are many other ways to obtain Anosmia that are more rare to see, and a small portion of them are listed here. Any obstruction of the nasal passages can cause Anosmia. Bony deformity's in the nose, nasal polyps, and tumors can block the nasal passages and cause Anosmia. Damage to the pathway itself can also prevent proper air flow and result in Anosmia. Additionally damage to the brain can cause Anosmia, as such Anosmia can be cause by brain trauma.
Top-Down perspective is fact based an involves starting out with a general concept and idea and breaking it down into more in depth sub groups which result in the general concept. For Anosmia we have the general concept which is the loss of smell, which could be temporarily or permanently. To go deeper we think of what can cause this, which would be some defect related to the olfactory passage, or damage directly to the brain. Anything that alters the normal functioning of the olfactory passage can be seen as a defect. As such we go deeper and pinpoint diseases or virus' or allergies as well as brain trauma as being direct causes, other than simple aging.
In the bottom-up approach things are reversed. This approach is said to not require thinking and uses information we previously learned to lead to the end result. One would not know what Anosmia is without already being informed about it. What an individual would know though is what something smells or tastes like, if they already have experience with what ever they are trying to smell or taste. A such we can take an example of an individual who wakes up and makes themselves some eggs mixed with spices and some toast covered with some form of butter. Upon eating it the individual notices that their food tastes different than they are used to. If the individual is not sick in any way they may find this very odd. After a few days this individual then decides that something is wrong and goes to see a doctor where they receive tests to judge their sense of smell, or to check for obstructions in the nasal passages. After the tests the doctor may diagnose the individual with Anosmia along with its cause, as well as how long it will continue.
There is not many treatment options for most causes of Anosmia. Anything related to colds, allergy's, or sinus infections do not have treatment, and this form of Anosmia will resolve itself within a few days. Bacterial infections causing Anosmia on the other hand can be treated with antibiotics. Any obstructions of the nasal passages causing Anosmia can be treated through the form of surgery. Once the obstructions are removed the individual should be able to smell once again. Anosmia from old age can not be treated and is a normal expected event to occur around the age of 60 and later.
As anosmia effects the sense of smell it also effects the sense of taste. Smell and taste are interrelated and as such an individual with anosmia will have problems related to taste. They may not be able to taste somethings at all, and some things simply will no longer taste the same as they used to.
Anosmia can cause a few psychological effects to occur. Sadness is a common cause as an individual has lost a major portion of their life they used to gain pleasure from. An individual will no longer be able to enjoy foods that they used to eat, and as such they would lack interest in eating at all. Being unable to smell or taste the way normal individuals can often causes individuals to feel isolated from others. Likewise the blunting of ones emotions is another common expressed effect of Anosmia, resulting in lack of expressed emotions verbally and physically through facial expressions or gestures.
