3 ms·
I do understand how anosmia can be an easy to detect symptom of COVID-19, and the 80% of positives, but I wonder what other illness can provoke the anosmia in
by jaclaz 6y ago
I do understand how anosmia can be an easy to detect symptom of COVID-19, and the 80% of positives, but I wonder what other illness can provoke the anosmia in the remaining (negative) 20%?
Is it common?
- bookofjoe 6y agoCauses of Loss of Smell — Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/loss-of-smell/basics/causes/sym-20050804 https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/loss-of-smell/basics/cau...
- jmholla 6y agoNot included there, but alcohol and drug use can cause it as well.
- Barrin92 6y agoIf you have a bad cold and your nose clogs up you can also pretty much lose your smell, but then again you also have typical cold symptoms which isn't really common with covid.
- jaclaz 6y agoYes, and as Mayo clinic above lists also polips and a fracture, i.e. unsurprisingly if the nose is clogged or its inner lining is altered, you loose your smell, but I would have thought that the sample was excluding these, either because they can be easily diagnosed (polips or fracture) or - as you say - because typical cold (or allergy) symptoms are not usually connected to Covid-19. All in all the causes are listed under three main categories: 1. Problems with the inner lining of your nose 2. Obstructions of your nasal passages 3. Damage to your brain or nerves If - as I think - the first two are excluded, the 20% of non-positives but suffereing from anosmia seems very high to me. Also, as it was reported anecdotally: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24664925 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24664925 the anosmia from Covid-19 seems to be much stronger than thoe connected to cold and similar.
- electricviolet 6y agoNot sure about anyone else, but I lose my sense of smell regularly when I get a cold. (Not due to being stuffed up -- even when I inhale through my nose I smell nothing.)
- dguaraglia 6y agoI've experienced it a couple times after having a bad flu or cold. It usually happens towards the middle the disease, when your nose is completely stuffed. It usually lasts a few days (think two to five days) and - in my case at least - it resolves itself once my cough starts to be more 'productive'. From the few reports I've heard from people who experienced it because of Covid-19, it seems the Covid-19 experience lasts way longer.