Understanding Loss of Smell with Dr. Laurence Chu, MD FACS in Austin, TX

This is one of the five senses and loss of one sense greatly affects day to day life. How? Loss of smell may affect your ability to smell a gas leak in your home. Smell is often used to distinguish spoiled food or affect your ability to notice burning. Loss of smell also affects our taste.

Defining types of smell loss:
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• Anosmia: is a complete loss of the sense of smell. 

• Hyposmia: is a diminished sense of smell
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• Parosmia: is a distorted sense of smell.

• Phantosmia: is experiencing smells when none is physically present. 

1: I can tell the difference between salt and sugar. Yes /No

2: I can taste vinegar. Yes /No

3: My food tastes differently to the way it should and odors that are pleasant to others are unpleasant to me. Yes /No

4: I sometimes smell things that other people can’t smell. People tell me there is no smell present. Yes /No

5: I can detect some sort of vague smells, but I can’t make sense of them.

If you answered Yes to questions 1 and/or 2, then your true “taste” is probably healthy. Remember that your sense of taste is influenced by smell to give your enjoyment of food and drink. If you answered No, then you should be evaluated for a taste disorder.

• Question 3 asks about the changed smell and that suggests parosmia if you answered Yes.

• Question 4 may indicate phantosmia if you answered Yes.

• Question 5 If you answered Yes, then you have Hyposmia, diminished sense of smell.

Dr. Chu and his dedicated team are committed to providing personalized care to address loss of smell and other ENT concerns. With a patient-centered approach, they guide each individual toward effective solutions and lasting relief. If you’re experiencing loss of smell, reach out to our Austin clinic to explore treatment options tailored to your needs. For more information, contact us today or schedule an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 3100 Red River St #2, Austin, TX 78705. We serve patients from Austin TX, Del Valle TX, Allandale TX, Manor TX, Dessau TX, and surrounding areas.