Cacosmia: definition, causes, symptoms and treatment

The sense of smell allows the human being to detect and process the smells and aromas that surround him. Through this, the person can recognize objects, substances and even people that are around them. As well as identifying dangerous situations such as a gas leak, or food in poor condition that could be eaten if the bad smell were not detected.

However, this sense can be altered for different reasons. These alterations are known as parosmias and encompasses all disorders that impair the sense of smell, including cacosmia, which will be discussed throughout this article.

• Related article: "The differences between syndrome, disorder and disease"

What is cacosmia?

Cacosmia is a strange medical condition whose term comes from the Greek and is formed by kakos whose translation is "bad" and osmé "smell".

The expression refers to an alteration of the sense of smell in which the brain is unable to correctly perceive odors and aromasSpecifically, the person refers to feeling unpleasant and even pestilential odors when the rest perceive normal aromas or even do not perceive any odor.

According to some sources, in some cases the person may come to feel a certain preference for these unpleasant aromas, even voluntarily exposing themselves to them.

This perceptual alteration of the sense of smell is usual in patients suffering from some type of illness or psychiatric disorder, as well as in people with physical damage such as epilepsy or deterioration of the nasal cavities.

Cacosmia belongs to a group of disorders of scent perception called parosmia, which also includes hyperosmia, hyposmia, and anosmia.

Diagnosis of cacosmia

In the diagnosis of cacosmia, as with the rest of parosmia, it is necessary to perform a physical examination of the ears, nose and throat, to specify the origin of the condition or to rule out that the causes are physical. This analysis is performed by endoscopy, which consists of introducing, for example, into the nose, a fine tube with a small camera, which allows the clinician to visualize the nasal cavities from the inside.

Another of the tests carried out in the assessment of this alteration is to measure the olfactory capacity of the patient. To do this, the minimum amount of aromas that a person is capable of perceiving is determined. Likewise, a test is also carried out in which the patient is exposed to a series of different aromas and he must determine which odors they are.

Finally, it is also necessary to review the patient's clinical history, in order to find out if it has been subjected to possible exposures to toxins.

The inconvenience and interference that an altered sense of smell can cause should not be underestimated, since a One of its functions is to be a first warning sign of danger such as smoke, gas, rotting food or bad condition, etc

Likewise, the sense of smell plays an essential role in food. So a person suffering from cacosmia You may see your eating habits altered, since the smell of food also becomes unpleasant.

Causes and treatments

Cacosmia can be caused by different causes, both physical and psychological. Therefore, the type of treatment of choice will vary depending on the cause of this, hence the importance of making a correct diagnosis and an exhaustive evaluation.

You can differentiate between physical and psychological causes, in which it is an abnormal activity of certain brain areas the cause of this alteration.

brain causes

In the case of ruling out the possible physical causes, it is very possible that the cacosmia is produced as a consequence of some brain alteration.

Which would mean that the perceptual alteration is not due to a poor articulation of meaning, but to an adulteration of the areas of the brain in charge of managing sensory functions.

Therefore, the possible causes of cacosmia can be:

1. hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is a disease of the endocrine system Sometimes caused by a malfunction of the immune system, infections or even during pregnancy.

In these cases, the deficient production of thyroid hormone can trigger both physical and psychological symptoms, and it is common for the sense of smell to also be affected.

2. Epilepsy

There have been some cases of cacosmia in temporal lobe epilepsies, these being of a temporary nature. The onset of cacosmia occurs with one of the seizures and tends to stay for a week or two afterwards.

• Related article: "Epilepsy: definition, causes, diagnosis and treatment"

3. Parkinson's disease

Cacosmia is also a symptom seen in some cases of Parkinson's disease. Although it is not a constant in all patients and the specific cause is not determined, it is theorized that the lack of dopamine can lead to cases of cacosmia.

physical causes

Among the physical causes are the following.

1. Chronic sinusitis

Chronic sinusitis consists of emphysema or inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, as a consequence of an infection by a virus, a fungus or some type of bacteria.

The main symptoms of sinusitis are runny nose or runny nose, congestion or obstruction of the nostrils, which causes great difficulty breathing through the nose; It is also characterized by hypersensitivity, pain, and inflammation around the eyes, cheekbones, or nose. As a consequence this also causes a reduction or alteration of the perception of the senses of taste and, even, of touch.

In some types of chronic sinusitis in which infectious agents remain retained in the sinuses, cacosmia appears as one of the main symptoms.

Being associated with a physical cause, the administration of antibiotic drugs should be enough to eradicate the perception of unpleasant odors.

2. crusty rhinitis

Cacosmia can also find its origin in scab rhinitis, also called ocean. This is an alteration that acts on the nasal mucosa, causing sneezing, itching, nasal stuffiness and mucous secretions.

As in sinusitis, the treatment of rhinitis itself must end unpleasant sensations. For this, the application of nasal washes and the administration of antibiotics are combined. However, there have been more serious cases in which the use of surgery has been necessary to alleviate the symptoms.

3. postoperative infection

In this case, the cacosmia derives from a complication or mishap of a surgery of the nasal cavity in which the nasal horns suffer some injury or damage.

Another cause may be caused by the desiccation of the nasal passages produced by the empty nose syndrome.

In either of the two causes, the solution involves reducing the diameter of the nasal cavity and implanting small silicone bars through surgery.