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The term derives from the Neo-Latin anosmia, based on Ancient Greek ἀν- (an-) + ὀσμή (osmḗ 'smell'; another related term, hyperosmia, refers to an increased ability to smell). Some people may be anosmic for one particular odor, a condition known as "specific anosmia". The absence of the sense of smell from birth is known as congenital ...
Hyperosmia is an increased olfactory acuity (heightened sense of smell), usually caused by a lower threshold for odor. [1] This perceptual disorder arises when there is an abnormally increased signal at any point between the olfactory receptors and the olfactory cortex.
A decreased or distorted sense of smell therefore results in a decreased quality of life. [5] Distortions are believed to have a greater negative impact on people than the complete loss of smell because they are constantly reminded of the disorder and the distortions have a greater effect on eating habits. [1] [5]
The Lady and the Unicorn, a Flemish tapestry depicting the sense of smell, 1484–1500. Musée national du Moyen Âge, Paris.. Early scientific study of the sense of smell includes the extensive doctoral dissertation of Eleanor Gamble, published in 1898, which compared olfactory to other stimulus modalities, and implied that smell had a lower intensity discrimination.
The olfactory system, is the sensory system used for the sense of smell (olfaction). Olfaction is one of the special senses directly associated with specific organs. Most mammals and reptiles have a main olfactory system and an accessory olfactory system.
Dysgeusia, also known as parageusia, is a distortion of the sense of taste. Dysgeusia is also often associated with ageusia, which is the complete lack of taste, and hypogeusia, which is a decrease in taste sensitivity. [1] An alteration in taste or smell may be a secondary process in various disease states, or it may be the primary symptom.
After leaving the area of high odor, the sensitivity is restored with time. Anosmia is the permanent loss of the sense of smell, and is different from olfactory fatigue. It is a term commonly used in wine tasting , where one loses the ability to smell and distinguish wine bouquet after sniffing at wine continuously for an extended period of time.
Anosmia is the inability to perceive odor, or in other words a lack of functioning olfaction.Many patients may experience unilateral or bilateral anosmia. A temporary loss of smell can be caused by a blocked 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