Anosomia — or What Smell
I love my morning cup of coffee.
I know! It's the smell... that's what gets me up in the morning!
So Norbert, imagine not being able to smell that — or anything else!
According to the Food and Drug Administration, the FDA, some who used a product called Zicam lost their sense of smell. The agency recommends consumers stop using Zicam immediately and asked the company to not market the nasal spray unless it applies for a formal drug approval.
Zicam is not regulated by the FDA because it's sold as a homeopathic remedy that claims to shorten the duration and severity of colds. A lesson here is — with alternative remedies you could be either wasting your money or, worse, risking your health.
With Zicam, the active ingredient is zinc, a naturally occurring mineral generally recognized as safe. But sometimes when sprayed into the nose, the mineral can damage receptors — reducing or eliminating the ability to smell.
Losing your sense of smell entirely is called anosmia. It can be caused by smoking, certain medications and diseases, the inhaling of some chemicals, obstructions, as well as trauma.
Without a sense of smell, eating and drinking lose their power and fun! Tastes lose their complexity, so that coffee may end up being bitter tasting water. Plus, you'd lose valuable environmental cues such as spoiled milk or the smell of smoke to warn you of a fire.
Treatments vary, depending on the cause. For example, surgery can cure those with obstructions such as polyps or deviated septums. One clinical trial involves using retinoic acid to stimulate the regrowth of the olfactory nerves.
As for Zicam, the FDA recommends consumers who have used Zicam to contact their physician if they've lost their sense of smell and to contact the agency.
More Information
Zicam's official message to consumers can be read here.
The FDA page that has the news release advising consumers not to use Zicam as well as much more information including a fact sheet and the letter sent by the FDA to Zicam can be read here.
The US News and World Report had an article about the issue of ZIcam use resulting in Asomia which can be read here.
Sneezing, scratchy throat, runny nose — everyone knows the first signs of a cold, probably the most common illness known. Although the common cold is usually mild, with symptoms lasting 1 to 2 weeks, it is a leading cause of doctor visits and missed days from school and work. People in the United States suffer 1 billion colds each year, according to some estimates. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 22 million school days are lost annually in the United States due to the common cold. To learn more about the common cold go to here.
With kids getting as many as eight colds per year or more, this contagious viral infection of the upper respiratory tract is the most common infectious disease in the United States and the No. 1 reason kids visit the doctor and stay home from school. for information for parents, kids and teens go to here.