The loss of one’s sense of smell has, most recently, been associated with COVID-19. But as you’ve probably experienced before, the common cold can also rob you of this ability.
And these aren’t the only reasons. According to Dr Neville Teo, a consultant with Singapore General Hospital’s Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, “viral infections, diseases affecting the nose and sinuses such as allergic rhinitis or sinusitis, head injury, and nerve disorders such as Parkinson’s disease” can also affect your ability to smell things.
Although, he added, “in some cases, no cause is found.”
While there’s no specific data for Singapore, Dr Teo said that anosmia (the complete loss of smell) and hyposmia (reduced sense of smell) is thought to afflict three per cent to 20 per cent of our population.