A temporary loss of smell can be caused by a blocked nose or infection. In contrast, a permanent loss of smell may be caused by death of olfactory receptor neurons in the nose or by brain injury in which there is damage to the olfactory nerve or damage to brain areas that process smell (see olfactory system). The lack of the sense of smell at birth, usually due to genetic factors, is referred to as congenital<unk> . Family members of the patient suffering from congenital<unk>  are often found with similar histories; this suggests that the<unk>  may follow an autosomal dominant pattern.<unk>  may very occasionally be an early sign of a degenerative brain disease such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Another specific cause of permanent loss could be from damage to olfactory receptor neurons because of use of certain types of nasal spray; i.e., those that cause vasoconstriction of the nasal microcirculation. To avoid such damage and the subsequent risk of loss of smell, vasoconstricting nasal sprays should be used only when absolutely necessary and then for only a short amount of time. Non-vasoconstricting sprays, such as those used to treat allergy-related congestion, are safe to use for prescribed periods of time.<unk>  can also be caused by nasal polyps. These polyps are found in people with allergies, histories of sinusitis, and family history. Individuals with cystic fibrosis often develop nasal polyps. Amiodarone is a drug used in the treatment of arrhythmias of the heart. A clinical study demonstrated that the use of this drug induced<unk>  in some patients. Although rare, there was a case in which a 66-year-old male was treated with amiodarone for ventricular tachycardia. After the use of the drug he began experiencing olfactory disturbance, however after decreasing the dosage of amiodarone, the severity of the<unk>  decreased accordingly, suggesting a relationship between use of amiodarone to the development of<unk> . COVID-19-related<unk>  Chemosensory disturbances, including loss of smell or taste, are the predominant neurological symptom of COVID-19. As many as 80% of COVID-19 patients exhibit some change in chemesthesis, including smell. Loss of smell has also been found to be more predictive of COVID-19 than all other symptoms, including fever, cough or fatigue, based on a survey of 2 million participants in the UK and US. Google searches for "smell", "loss of smell",<unk> ", and other similar terms increased since the early months of the pandemic, and strongly correlated with increases in daily cases and deaths. Research into the mechanisms underlying these symptoms is currently ongoing. Many countries list<unk>  as an official COVID-19 symptom, and some have developed "smell tests" as potential screening tools. In 2020, the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research, a collaborative research organization of international smell and taste researchers, formed to investigate loss of smell and related chemosensory symptoms. List of causes
Anosmia
Dysosmia
Phantosmia
Aspermia
Hyperhidrosis
Hyperosmia
Buphthalmos
Xerophthalmia