What is the Frequency of Smell and Taste Disorders?
About 260 million people live in the United States, and according to a study, more than 2 million people have this disorder. Approximately two hundred thousand people in the USA consult a doctor every year for this reason.
Are Smell and Taste Disorders Serious?
Smell The sense of perception and taste are important senses that warn us early, for which we should be grateful, and the wrong smell and taste warn us against fire, poisonous gases and spoiled food. Olfactory impairment may be caused by a sinus problem, tissue growths in the nose, or in rare cases, it may be caused by brain tumors. For some professional groups such as cooks and firefighters, smelling and tasting is a professional reality, and the loss of these senses creates major economic problems.
How Do Smell and Taste Occur?
The senses of smell and taste belong to our chemical sensory system. These complex processes begin when some chemical substances originating from the substances around us stimulate our nose, mouth and throat. By stimulating the nerve endings, these messages are transmitted to the brain and distinguished in the brain.
Olfactory nerve endings are located on the roof of the nose and within a very thin bone, they directly stimulate the olfactory area in the brain.
Food and drinks mix with saliva and stimulate the olfactory nerve endings in the mouth, tongue and throat. They deliver the same shape stimulus to certain areas in the brain.
Smell and taste cells are being examined in terms of their ability to regenerate when they get old or damaged.
A third chemical sensation system also exists. This is called the 'general feeling system'. Thousands of sensory nerves located especially in the moist areas of the eyes, nose and mouth perceive 'the sting of ammonia, the coolness of metol and the warmth of red pepper'.
There are generally four types of nerves: sweet, sour, bitter and salty. We can distinguish basic taste. A flavor is formed by the combination of certain proportions of these flavors and the general sensation system. This special flavor allows us to recognize them.
Many substances are recognized mainly by their smell. If you close your nose while eating chocolate, you may feel whether the substance you are eating is sweet or bitter. You will have a hard time understanding that it is chocolate. This is because the familiar taste of chocolate is mostly perceived by smell. Likewise, it is the same with coffee. If you pay attention, people who want to get the full flavor of the food (such as cooks, taste experts) exhale through their nose after each swallow.
What Causes Taste and Smell Disorders?
The dominant problem is the decrease in the natural ability to smell after the age of 60. Scientists have found that olfactory ability is best between the ages of 30 and 60. This begins to decline after age 60, and many older people have noted their ability to smell. However, in general, women of all ages are more sensitive to smell than men.
Some people may be born with smell and taste disorders, but in many people this occurs after an accident or illness.
Upper respiratory tract infections have often been blamed, and olfactory dysfunction may also occur in cases of skull fractures.
Smell and taste disorders can be caused by polyps in the nose, hormonal disorders. It may be caused by disorders and dental problems. It may also occur in people exposed to pesticides or some other drugs for a long time.
Tobacco smoke is the most common and intense air pollution agent encountered by humans. It causes the discrimination of odors and the sense of taste to decrease. Quitting smoking increases the ability to smell, but this phenomenon occurs very slowly.
For example, a person who smokes two packs of cigarettes a day must quit smoking for as long as the period he smoked in order to smell the same again.
p>
Many people who receive radiation therapy to the head and neck region due to cancer complain of smell and taste disorders.
Trachea and vocal cords. People who are removed complain that their sense of smell and taste has decreased. If tubes are applied to these people to allow them to breathe through their noses, they will begin to taste and smell again (this shows how important it is for air to pass through the nose in smell and taste).
Smell and Taste Disorders. How is it diagnosed?
People are asked to smell and taste different intensities in order to recognize them. The person can distinguish �i is the lowest density. In addition, odors and tastes of different intensities are tried, and it is investigated whether the patient can distinguish them or notice them when their intensity is increased.
Can Smell and Taste Disorders Be Treated?
Sometimes a medication used is the sole cause of smell and taste disorders, and the situation improves when the medication is stopped or changed.
While some medications cause smell disorders, especially allergy medications can improve smell and taste.
Particularly, people with severe cold, flu or increased allergies regain their sense of smell and taste only when their condition improves. In many cases, an improvement in smell and taste is observed with the removal of polyps that cause nasal congestion. In rare cases, smell and taste receptors may heal on their own as they register on their own.
Read: 0
