A poor sense of smell can be a sign of various illnesses.

Researchers from the Technical University of Dresden (Germany), the Monell Chemical Senses Center (USA), the University of East Anglia, University College London, and the charity SmellTaste (UK) have stated that a diminished sense of smell is often linked to a range of diseases.
According to statistics, olfactory disorders affect one in five people worldwide. The majority of these individuals are men over the age of 60. Recent studies have also shown that occurs eight to ten times more frequently in those who have had COVID-19.
In their review published in the journal Clinical Otolaryngology, the team noted that the global medical community often overlooks olfactory disorders.
This is despite the fact that scientists have numerous recent findings linking a weakened sense of smell to more than 130 neurological, physical, and genetic disorders, and despite the condition being more common than profound hearing loss or .
As the authors of the study explained, the primary cause of a diminished sense of smell is chronic rhinosinusitis: inflammation of the nasal sinuses that can be triggered by diseases that block the airways, such as asthma, , or cystic fibrosis, as reported by Daily Mail.
Researchers emphasized that there is increasing evidence that loss of smell can be an early sign of several diseases, including dementia, , and, particularly concerning, life-threatening heart issues.

Researchers explained that harmful proteins in individuals with dementia may start to accumulate in the part of the brain responsible for smell.
According to scientists, loss of smell can occur before traditional motor symptoms in 90 percent of patients with Parkinson’s disease, sometimes up to five years prior to diagnosis.
Moreover, there is growing evidence that loss of smell is associated with an increased risk of stroke and heart failure in previously healthy adults.
The team noted that many people with a diminished sense of smell are concerned about their safety due to their inability to detect gas, fire, smoke, and spoiled food.
Researchers recalled recent studies that confirmed that loss of smell is linked to more frequent cases of eating disorders, social isolation, relationship difficulties, anxiety, and depression. They noted that patients with impaired smell tend to have a less varied diet, consuming more fats and sugars.
“We recommend developing educational programs in the field of smell health and awareness campaigns, implementing smell screening, and creating and enforcing smell health policies,” the researchers wrote in their review.
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