The Devastating Loss of Smell: A Hidden Epidemic

About 14 years ago, Chrissi Kelly lost her sense of smell. She had traveled to the Czech Republic to visit family and caught some virus. Months later, when she still couldn’t smell, she made the rounds to doctors, including her general practitioner and an ear, nose and throat specialist, trying to find answers.

She was diagnosed with anosmia (smell loss), and like many patients with her condition, was told she’d have to learn to live with it. But for her, the loss was catastrophic. “After about six months of complete loss, I was just climbing the walls, and I did not feel like myself anymore,” she says.

Researchers estimate that up to 22 percent of the population lives with smell impairments , like hyposmia (partial smell loss) or anosmia (complete smell loss). And many others live with smell disorders like phantosmia, in which a person picks up phantom smells, or parosmia, where typically pleasant scents like coffee or shampoo begin to register as highly unpleasant (think feces or vomit). Yet the conditions have been poorly understood, underdiagnosed and often minimized by clinicians.

The lack of understanding and treatment options for these conditions can have a profound impact on a person's quality of life. For Kelly, the loss of her sense of smell led to feelings of isolation and disconnection from the world around her. As researchers continue to study these conditions, it is clear that more needs to be done to raise awareness and develop effective treatments.

Why this matters: The loss of smell can have far-reaching consequences for individuals and society as a whole. For those living with anosmia or other smell impairments, everyday tasks like cooking or detecting gas leaks become hazardous. Furthermore, smell plays a critical role in our emotional and psychological well-being, with certain scents evoking powerful memories and emotions.

As the prevalence of smell impairments becomes more apparent, it is essential that clinicians, researchers, and policymakers prioritize the development of effective treatments and support systems. However, questions remain about the long-term effects of these conditions and the most effective ways to address them, highlighting the need for continued research and investment in this area.