25 Jul Consumer Reports: How to Regain Your Faltering Sense of Smell

Our sense of smell is a source of pleasure and protection, but plenty of factors can cause it to fade. Aging is a common cause of smell loss. And the sense can also be impaired by health conditions that include allergies and head trauma, as well as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases (loss of smell is an early sign). Viruses can also damage your sense of smell, temporarily or sometimes even permanently.

In fact, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, is the first virus to be studied as a definitive cause of smell loss, says Jayant Pinto, MD, professor of surgery in the section of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery at the University of Chicago.

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