Anosmia overview

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Anosmia is the inability to perceive odor, or in other words a lack of functioning olfaction.

A temporary loss of smell can be caused by a stuffy nose or infection. In contrast, a permanent loss of smell may be caused by death of olfactory receptor neurons in the nose, or by brain injury in which there is damage to the olfactory nerve or damage to brain areas that process smell (see olfactory system). The lack of the sense of smell at birth, usually due to genetic factors, is referred as congenital anosmia. Anosmia may very occasionally be an early sign of degenerative brain diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

In the United States, more than 2 million people suffer from anosmia.

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