If someone suddenly lost their ability to see they would know immediately and probably seek urgent medical assistance. If somebody woke up one day and couldn’t hear, they might not rush to the nearest emergency department but would likely seek medical advice from their GP or family doctor. Losing the ability to smell is often not noticed because the air around us doesn’t have a smell unless there are detectable odour molecules present.
It is a really common assumption to make, when someone loses their sense of smell, that they think they have lost the ability to taste. This is because they often notice it when they eat – they don’t notice necessarily that they can’t smell it.
Taste takes place on the tongue and in the mouth using tastebuds that detect 5 basic tastes: salty, sweet, sour, bitter and savoury (umami). Even when smell is lost or impaired, these tastes can be detected but we rely on our nose to work with our tongue when we eat. Even without smell we can experience these sensations.
Smell happens when we sniff something in through our nose and can identify the source – this is called ortho-nasal olfaction.
Flavour is what we detect when chew food and we breathe in through our nose. This is called retro-nasal olfaction or sometimes referred to as mouth-smell.
It’s the combination of both taste (salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami) and smell that enables us to enjoy flavour.
The loss of true taste and true taste disorders are much less common but equally distressing. Information on taste disorders can be found here.

Often very young children do not recognise that they cannot smell and, unlike sight and hearing, it isn’t always obvious to a parent. Children often start to notice that they don’t know what smell is as they become more independent and interact with more people. Once they start school, self awareness increases and they become aware that they cant smell the fart that others are laughing about or they can’t smell the tuna sandwich someone is eating or the smelly trainers in the changing rooms.
If you notice something is wrong with your child’s ability to smell or they suddenly lose that sense or they tell you they don’t know what other children mean when they talk about smell, then seek help and make an appointment to see your family doctor. It is just as important to seek advice or help for the inability to smell as it would be about hearing and sight. We have developed guidance and support specifically for parents that can be found here

Unfortunately, there isn’t a single or simple answer. Smell/taste loss can be recovered but much depends on the cause. Post viral loss/disorders are recoverable in about 90% of people and this can happen as the affected area recovers from the damage caused by the virus. The length of time this takes is often only a few weeks but can take months and sometimes longer. Someone with nasal polyps can regain their sense of smell following surgery once the blockage is removed from the nasal cavity. Someone with a head injury or congential anosmia where the olfactory bulb is damaged or the olfactory nerve is severed however, are unlikely to recover. It is important to have the cause of your smell loss investigated to establish why and how it happened and to explore possible treatment options with your doctor.

People often describe not being able to smell and not being able to taste properly as living in a world without colour or experiencing life from behind a screen. This is because the sense of smell is closely linked to memory and emotion.  It is the only sense that is part of the limbic system in the brain. Mothers know the smell of their babies and the smell of our partner can be comforting and familiar. People born with no sense of smell describe feeling isolated and envious because they have no smell memory. People who have lost their sense of smell describe feeling bereft and grieve their loss. Being excluded from a world full of smells can be distressing. If you are struggling with overwhelming and negative feelings, it’s important to talk to your doctor.

Connecting with us at Fifth Sense is a great step. Our resources are developed in conjunction with doctors, scientists and with people who live with smell and taste disorders. We are here to help you to help you.
Our SmellAbility toolkits contain smell testing and training resources, diaries and videos. Testing and recording your ability to smell is important to inform you of any changes however subtle.  You can read more here.

Our #LetsTalkSmellAndTaste online events can connect you with others all over the world and hear from experts on many topics from food and drink to medical research.  You can find more about this here. 
If you live in the UK, our hubs are there for you to join and engage with a wide range of people, professionals and other supportive third sector organisations.  FInd out how you can get involved in your nearest hub here.
Our Food For Thought section on the website provides ideas and recipes you can utilise.  To read more click here. 
We provide dedicated support to young people, children and parents here.
We have information sheets to help understand causes, how to cope with smell and taste disorders and how to talk to your doctor here. (LINK TO Information sheets HERE WHEN THEY ARE READY)
We have guidance on our page dedicated to living safely when you cannot smell properly.  To read more click here. 
We share patient stories and experiences that might be familiar and can provide information and hop.  To read these you can access them here.

In the UK, the only place where you can be formally tested with regards to your level of ability to smell, is through an ENT or similar specialist clinic. There are two main tests that specialist medical professionals use – ‘Sniffin’ Sticks’ which a a range of “pens” that are used to test your sense of smell. This test takes about an hour and takes measurements of threshold, discrimination and identification. The UPSIT (University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test) is a scratch and sniff card with multiple choice for identification of smells.
However, you can perform you own simple test at home that can give you a good, general indication about your sense of smell. SmellAbility is a toolkit developed by Fifth Sense that has downloadable, easy to use resources and can be accessed here.

If you are experiencing smell/taste loss or changes that persist, like any physical change to your health it is important to seek medical advice. Changes to our ability to smell and taste can sometimes be an early indicator of other conditions and it is important to get it checked. Similarly, if your inability to smell/taste is causing your anxiety, low mood or feeling frustrated, talking with your doctor can help.
Information Sheet #8 (click here), can help you prepare for a medical consultation and give you some guidance on what you might want to ask and address. 

In the UK, NHS referrals via your GP is the normal route to see a consultant who specialises in smell and taste disorders. A full list of UK NHS clinics can be found here. Some consultants also offer private consultations.
Outside of the UK, we are aware of the following clinics and centres that specialise in smell and taste disorders in a number of countries. They can be found here.