Anosmia
Anosmia means loss of smell. Learn how it differs from reduced smell and adaptation to a familiar perfume, and when a change in smell needs medical assessment.
Updated
Anosmia is the loss of the ability to detect odors. Hyposmia means a reduced ability to smell. These terms describe the sense of smell, rather than how strongly a perfume projects.
Not noticing one familiar fragrance does not establish anosmia. Repeated exposure can reduce awareness of a scent, the perfume may have faded, and sensitivity to particular odors varies. Smelling a perfume on clothes but not on skin cannot distinguish those possibilities by itself.
If your sense of smell has changed across everyday odors, discuss it with a clinician. Smell disorders have several possible causes and need assessment; applying more fragrance is not a way to diagnose or treat them.
Source: NIDCD: definitions and assessment of smell disorders
- Anosmia
- Loss of the ability to detect odors.
- Hyposmia
- A reduced ability to detect odors.
- Parosmia
- A change in how an odor is perceived: a familiar smell may seem different or distorted.
- Phantosmia
- Perceiving an odor when no odor source is present.
- Olfactory adaptation
- Reduced perception after continued or repeated exposure to a smell. It can make a fragrance seem quieter to its wearer without establishing whether it has faded for everyone.