This is an automatically translated article.
If the sense of smell is not treated early enough, it can have serious consequences for physical and mental health. Imagine what happens when you eat but can't smell the food? Back home, but can't smell the familiar scent?
1. The role of the sense of smell
The nose has about 100 million nerve cells and can smell about 10,000-100 billion different types of odors. It affects not only the physical life, but also the spiritual life of people.
The smell of food makes the dish palatable, the smell of smoke warns of fire, poison, the smell warns of stale food, environmental pollution. Scent also creates an association with a person like the scent of an acquaintance's perfume; the smell of plants, flowers and leaves of the homeland, etc.
With so many important roles, when you have a loss of smell, you need to treat it immediately, to avoid temporary loss of smell becoming chronic causing complete loss of smell, affecting physical health and morale.
2. Consequences of impaired sense of smell
Loss of smell increases the risk of death in adults over 70 years of age over the past 10 years by almost 50%, into a 30% higher risk at year 13. The number is not small at all.
Studies have linked a decreased sense of smell with an increased risk of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and some dementias.
Medical conditions related to the sense of smell increase the risk of death by about 28%. Specifically, a 22% increased risk of death for olfactory impairment related to neurodegenerative diseases and 6% associated with weight loss.
Reduced sense of smell also affects appetite, thereby reducing intake, changing nutritional status and body weight. In addition, poor eating due to impaired sense of smell also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Worse, new studies have shown that the loss of the sense of smell can be a warning of impending death in the elderly.
Suy giảm khứu giác ảnh hưởng đến cảm giác thèm ăn
3. What should people with reduced sense of smell pay attention to?
In order to limit the long-term loss of smell, the patient should pay attention to the following issues:
Food: Do not eat stale food, do not eat too little or too much. This requires you to closely monitor the expiration date and daily intake. Equipment: Install fire alarm devices in the house, replace using gas stoves with electric stoves, be careful when working with potentially toxic chemicals. Treatment of diseases : Treatment of diseases that cause impaired sense of smell such as colds , respiratory infections , sinusitis . Activities: Wear a mask to limit exposure to dust when going out. Clean the nasal mucosa by instilling nasal drops when dirty. Absolutely no smoking. Sniffing practice: Practice smelling by bringing food or fragrant flowers and objects to your nose. Loss of smell can greatly affect a patient's life, material and spiritual. Therefore, in order to limit this situation, patients need to apply some methods to practice smelling, avoid eating stale food and treat diseases that impair the sense of smell.
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Reference source: webmd.com
