Anosmia Awareness Day

The symptom of complete loss of smell is called anosmia It can be temporary or permanent, congenital (Kallmann syndrome) or acquired and is most often associated with diseases of the respiratory tract The ability to distinguish odors allows a person to experience pleasure from food and the aroma of flowers, and to receive signals of danger (for example, at the first sign of a fire or gas leak) American Daniel Shane, who suffers from anosmia, decided to raise awareness among his compatriots about the loss of smell His proposal was supported by the British charity Fifth Sense At their initiative, people around the world began to celebrate February 27 as Anosmia Awareness Day In honor of Anosmia Awareness Day, seminars, lectures and conferences are held In 2015, Fifth Sense, which specializes in supporting people with smell and taste loss disorders, launched the #LongLostSmell online campaign It was aimed at raising funds for patients suffering from memory loss and the ability to distinguish aromas On February 27, medical experts hold talks and symposiums to discuss factors that trigger anosmia and ways to combat it Most often, the causes of complete or partial loss of smell (hyposmia) are:• head injuries;• tumors of the brain or respiratory tract;• Alzheimer's disease;• viral infections;• atherosclerosis;• allergic rhinitis;• operations on the nose and sinuses;• household burns and radiation exposure of the head and neck Treatment of anosmia depends on the circumstances of its occurrence and the disease that caused this syndrome The sense of smell in humans is much less developed than in animals, but still plays an important role in life Loss of pleasure from eating and drinking is a major complaint of people suffering from anosmia By the age of 70-80, its symptoms are observed in most older people Previously, there was an opinion that the average person could smell about 10,000 types of odors According to the latest research by scientists, he is able to distinguish 172 trillion combinations of aromas thanks to a gene that, oddly enough, is responsible for the development of polycystic kidney disease The ability to identify at least part of the declared number of odors is inherent in representatives of the specialty called “nose” in professional slang People with a keen sense of smell and a good memory for aromas work in the perfume industry, winemaking and forensics Anosmia is a symptom of a malfunction in the body and is difficult to treat Therefore, it is very important to know why there is a decrease or complete loss of smell, which significantly worsens the quality of life A person suffering from ansomia will not feel that the food is spoiled or smells bad, and therefore runs the risk of becoming a victim of food poisoning Such people have a pathological craving for cleanliness: due to the loss of smell, they can take a shower several times a day, for fear of causing discomfort to others due to the smell of sweat Anosmia Awareness Day, which is celebrated on February 27, is intended to draw attention to and raise awareness about anosmia