Anosmia is defined as the lack of olfaction and may be temporary or permanent. The interesting aspect is that some people may develop Anosmia in few cases and they may not be able to detect one single type of smell or odor. This type of Anosmia is known as “specific Anosmia” and there are theories that state that this type of disease may be transmitted genetically. In some cases some odors may not be detected by some generation either because of the danger implied or because of the inexistence of that odor in the region. This information may be transmitted and inherited by people of that community. Nevertheless, these cases are not so frequent and therefore they do not present such interest. Loss of olfaction may be one trait of the modern era, as it is said that there are 10,000 scents that may not be detected so quickly and differentiated in our times when almost all trees and flowers have no odor or aroma.

In many cases Anosmia is a mild disability and it is treated as an unimportant problem. Nevertheless, there are some cases when the loss of the sense of smell may be a sign of a serious problem – a tumor near the olfactory nerve that may develop into the malign tumor. Loss of olfaction may not seem such a trivial problem especially for young men who may experiment a loss of libido and then impotency. Some researches are concerned with this aspect, trying to bring hope in such cases.

Anosmia may not seem so insignificant in the case of some dangers that may be discovered due to the sense of smell – gas, fire or other related dangers. Anosmia may also lead to anxiety and depression, because of the fact that the affective smell memory is not functioning anymore. In some cases Anosmia is temporary and may disappear in moments of high emotional intensity. The permanent Anosmia has no such hopes and may lead the person to severe depression and unpleasant consequences. Anosmia may also cause a loss of appetite and a weight loss, causing weakness, anemia and other related problems.

In order to avoid this type of dysfunction it is important to be aware of some causes that may be prevented or treated properly: nasal infection or nasal polyps; infections of the upper respiratory tract, such is the case of common cold or sinusitis; head injury or trauma; smoking and exposure to some toxins (acrylates and cadmium). There are some other causes of Anosmia and among them old age is not a wonder anymore and some diseases are also associated with old age: Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and some other types of dementia. Kallmann syndrome may be also the cause of the Anosmia and the rare cancerous tumor that may appear near the olfactory nerve. That is why the loss of sense of smell is not such a trivial problem and should be treated as a problem that may be discussed with the physician. Some further analysis may help in establishing the diagnosis and the proper treatment.

Taking into account the causes of Anosmia, some preventive methods may be established and in most cases a healthy lifestyle may be of much help than any other theories and researches. Another important aspect is getting rid of superficiality even in the cases of common cold and treating them properly, as not paying attention to the minor aspects of health may cost a life with no sense of smell. Vaccines and proper treatment, diets with antioxidants and an active lifestyle may have a great role in preventing the development of Anosmia.