Nose blindness—one would know exactly what it is but also wonder what it really means. Also known as olfactory fatigue or olfactory adaptation, nose blindness is a temporary condition that makes it difficult for individuals to detect or differentiate between certain scents and fragrances that they have been smelling over time. Simply put, your nose gets so used to a certain smell that it cannot identify it anymore. Read further to know why it happens and how to manage the condition.
What Is Nose Blindness?![]()
During the COVID-19 pandemic, conditions like parosmia, a distorted sense of smell, and anosmia, the inability to smell or detect odours, became more common than ever. These were either short-term or lasted for weeks, even months in some people.
Nose blindness is a temporary condition that occurs due to repeated exposure to an odour, mostly unpleasant, leading to the inability to detect the smell. It is a result of overexposure to a particular scent, which impairs one's sense of smell.
Also Read: Difficulty In Smelling? Here Are The Causes And Treatment For Anosmia
Why Does Nose Blindness Happen?![]()
The science behind nose blindness is that after being exposed to a strong odour for a long time, or simply put, when you smell something for a long time, the olfactory epithelium gets 'full' of the smell, which prevents information from reaching the brain anymore, failing to recognise it anymore.
This is why the condition is also called olfactory fatigue.
One of the primary causes of nose blindness is overexposure to a particular scent. For example, a person working in a fish market might become nose-blind to the strong fishy odour over time, no longer noticing the smell that others find overwhelming.
Nose blindness is also common in people who are repetitively exposed to unpleasant smells as opposed to pleasant smells.
Furthermore, a study published in the journal Chemical Senses found that the way we smell something (through our nose or mouth) can affect how our brain processes the smell. Therefore, when we smell something through our nose for a long time, our brain gets used to it and stops noticing it as much. However, when we smell something through our mouth, our brain doesn't get used to it as quickly. This suggests that inhaling a smell through our nose could have a greater impact on nose blindness than inhaling it through our mouth.
How To Identify Nose Blindness
There are various ways you can identify nose blindness. Some common signs include:
- Difficulty detecting certain scents that are noticeable to others
- Familiar smells are harder to detect
- Unable to enjoy certain foods
It is important to note that unlike anosmia, nose blindness is the inability to detect certain scents that others can. While anosmia is a medical term for the complete loss of smell, nose blindness is characterised by a loss of particular odours.
However, it is best to see an ENT specialist or an otolaryngologist to confirm your diagnosis and to understand the treatment plan ahead.
Also Read: Parosmia After Covid-19: Expert Tells Ways To Recover From The Condition
How To Treat Or Manage Nose Blindness![]()
There is no sure-shot way to prevent nose blindness. However, you can manage or treat the condition by taking a break from the place where you are experiencing nose blindness.
If an underlying condition, like sinusitis, is triggering olfactory fatigue, it is advised to seek treatment for the same relief.
Additionally, olfactory training can be an effective remedy to manage nose blindness. According to StatPearls Publishing, 20% of the people in the general population have an impairment of the sense of smell. For such groups of people, olfactory training would involve exposing themselves to four different odours twice daily for at least 24 weeks.
Most importantly, people need to maintain good nasal hygiene by rinsing their nasal passages with saline to remove irritants and improve airflow. One also needs to eat a healthy diet rich in antioxidants, like berries, leafy greens, and citrus fruits.