(HealthDay)—While loss of smell is a symptom of COVID-19, don't panic—there are a variety of other possible causes, one expert says. Direct injury to the nose can also cause loss of smell, though this issue typically resolves itself faster than a brain injury. A partial loss of smell is called hyposmia. Other causes include excessive smoking , nutritional deficiencies, certain nervous system diseases, radiation therapy, fever , blocked nasal passages , sinusitis , viral or upper respiratory infections, and gum diseases. One of the main causes is aging, which brings on degeneration of nerve cells that control smell and taste buds. There are many causes behind loss of smell and taste. Loss of smell includes the inability to detect harmful odors such as natural gas in cooking and heating systems or smoke from a fire. There may be fewer practical problems associated with losing your sense of smell than with loss of sight or hearing.   Many conditions can temporarily or permanently cause anosmia. The complete or partial loss of smell is called anosmia and it can be temporary or permanent, depending on what caused it. However, loss of smell can also be a symptom of allergy or other illnesses. Loss of smell is caused by several different factors. One of the most common causes of smell loss is a viral infection, such as the common cold, sinus or other upper respiratory tract infections. A loss of taste is commonly associated with the loss of smell, because we rely on smell to identify flavors. Some of the probable causes for loss of smell are: Nasal congestion brought on by a cold, allergy, influenza, non-allergic rhinitis, or sinus infection. The most common causes of prolonged smell loss occur as a result of upper respiratory infection, head injury, chronic sinus disease, and aging. The sense of smell loss is clearly not due to mucus, and all that other stuff, ’cause I know there’s people thinking, “well, it’s just ’cause you’re snotty “because you’re infected with a coronavirus.” So a lot, for a lot of people that were studied, sense of loss of smell was the only symptom they had. Anosmia, also known as smell blindness, is the loss of the ability to detect one or more smells. Those coronaviruses that don't cause deadly diseases, such as COVID-19, SARS and MERS, are one of the causes of the common cold and have been known to cause smell loss.. Causes of Loss of Taste and Smell. Anosmia may be temporary or permanent. The loss of one's ability to smell is called anosmia. Injury to the brain often causes smell loss, which can last for a short or longer period of time. This is due to an underdeveloped chemical sensing system. Even a partial loss of smell could cause you to lose interest in eating, which in extreme cases, might lead to weight loss, poor nutrition or even depression. A person may have partial or total anosmia, which may cause them to think that they have lost their sense of taste. Measuring the degree of 'smell loss' is difficult, since the experience of smell is subjective. Even if a cause is successfully eliminated, the loss of smell may persist. Causes and Concerns. A common cause of permanent loss of smell is a head injury, as may occur in a car accident. Loss of taste and smell could be your body’s way of telling you you’re low in vitamins. Loss of smell and taste is now one of the symptoms listed on the CDC’s list of coronavirus symptoms. Sometimes one sense may be diminished while there is complete loss of the other sense. Specifically, damage to the brain’s frontal lobe, where smell is processed. 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