The sense of smell is one of the five senses that humans have. As part of the human sensory system, the sense of smell plays a role fordetect odors or scents. This ability to smell can be impaired if the sense of smell is not maintained properly.
Every object, food, or gas around us has a unique chemical structure. When chemicals from these objects are inhaled or smelled, special sensory nerve cells in the nose called olfactory cells detect them.
After that, the nerve cells in the nose will transmit odor stimulation signals to the brain for interpretation. It is through this process that we can smell or smell something.
Disturbance pThere is an Sense of Smell
The sense of smell allows us to distinguish various kinds of smells or smells, for example the aroma of coffee, chocolate, perfume, flowers, to spices.
However, our sense of smell can sometimes decrease or even disappear altogether. The following are some types of disorders that can occur in the sense of smell:
- Hyposmia, which is a decreased ability to detect odors.
- Anosmia, which is a condition when the sense of smell loses its ability to smell completely.
- Parosmia, which is a condition when the sense of smell experiences a change in the perception of smell, for example a perfume that smells good can turn into something that smells bad.
- Fantosmia, which is when someone smells a certain scent that is not actually there. Usually this is caused by hallucinations.
Impaired sense of smell can be caused by various factors, such as aging, frequent smoking, head or nose injuries, hormonal changes, side effects of drugs, to certain diseases, such as colds, allergies, sinusitis, rhinitis, and nervous system and brain disorders.
Various ways uTo Maintain the Sense of Smell
If the sense of smell is disturbed, various health problems will appear. Starting from difficulty or not being able to enjoy delicious food, to not being able to detect the presence of certain gases or harmful substances.
Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy sense of smell. There are several ways that can be done to maintain a healthy sense of smell, namely:
1. Avoid allergy triggers
When an allergic reaction occurs in the nose, the nasal cavity will become inflamed and swollen. If the nose is too often experiencing allergies, over time the function of the sense of smell will be disturbed.
So, if you have allergies, try to avoid things that can trigger your allergies. If you want to go out of the house or to a dirty place, wear a mask to protect your nose.
You are also advised to always prepare medicines to treat allergy symptoms that can appear at any time.
2. Cleaning the house regularly
Clean the entire house, especially the bedrooms and bathrooms, at least once a week with a broom, vacuum cleaner, or clean rag. Also clean the curtains, bed linen, pillowcases, and children's toys regularly. Don't forget to always wear a mask and gloves, especially if you use a cleanser that contains chemicals.
If you have pets, bathe them at least once a week with warm water and an animal-specific shampoo. Also clean the cage, place to eat, and place to drink regularly.
3. Maintain air quality
Air quality in the house needs to be maintained so as not to cause health problems for you and your family. Dirty air can cause irritation or infection of the nose. If this happens often, this can increase the risk of causing disturbances to the sense of smell.
To maintain indoor air quality, create good air circulation, avoid smoking indoors, or use strong-smelling cleaning fluids.
If necessary, you can use an air purifier to help remove dust and dirt in the air, or a humidifier to keep the air in the room from becoming too dry.
4. Clean your nose regularly
Do you often pick your nose to clean it from dirt? From now on, try not to do it again, okay? Frequently picking your nose or picking your nose too hard can cause sores and infections, and cause nosebleeds.
To avoid this, you can try to clean your nose with a solution saline or sterile saline. The method is as follows:
- Boil 2 cups of water for 15 minutes, then add 1 teaspoon of non-iodized salt and let it come to room temperature.
- Put the salt solution in neti pot which has been cleaned and dried.
- Tilt your head and insert the ends neti pot slowly into the nose.
- Lift neti pot until the saline solution flows from one nostril to the other.
- Repeat on the other nostril.
Do the ways above to maintain the health of your sense of smell. If there are complaints of the nose or disturbances in your sense of smell, immediately consult an ENT doctor to get the right treatment.
