My 5yo claims to have no sense of smell

[Oneborneverydecade]

She's been saying it for a while. initially we just assumed she was goofing around. Now every time I (forget and) suggest she smell something, she reminds me that she can't smell. No drama, quite matter of fact.

She never had a positive COVID test but we didn't test her often so she could have had it without us realising.

Anyone have any experience? Suggestions to test? Do I take her straight to the GP?

It took me seven grim months to get my sense of smell back post-Covid, she could have had it without you knowing if she was asymptomatic definitely. Would still say a GP job to rule out anything else neurological though.

What does she say about her sense of taste? If she genuinely can't smell anything, she won't really be able taste anything either.

Does she smell? This happened to a friends DD and they didn't figure it out until they realised the rotting smell was coming from her - she had put a pea up there and it was decomposing. Still no sense of smell now as an adult

She hadn't mentioned her sense of taste but it seems perfectly normal.
No she doesn't smell
Thanks for the suggestions though. Maybe it is COVID - it's only been in the last year (or less) that she's mentioned it

My dad is anosmic and has been for as long as he can remember. Possibly caused by Scarlet Fever when he was four, but it's also possible to be born that way. Interestingly, his sense of taste is OK - though aromatics like herbs do nothing for him.

@Oneborneverydecade did you ever get to the bottom of this? My 5yr old is saying the same thing. Did you take her to the GP and if so what happened?

Cut an onion in half and let her smell, always works with me.

No covid here. Me or my son.

Onion is brilliant for getting rid of colds etc.

I'm like this too, except nobody knows what if anything caused it. I can taste and enjoy food, but yeah, I couldn't identify any herbs.

@ParisGellerFTW what age did you realise? My DS enjoys food and says "good I can still
Taste" but it would appear he has never had a sense of smell.
I wafted some olbas oil under his nose yesterday and he was none the wiser 😱

Get her to close her eyes, and see if she can tell the difference between apple and raw potato: this needs the sense of smell.

Same with my dd. Couldn’t smell (this was before Covid) Said it from an early age. She was diagnosed with asnosmia and offered an operation. She didn’t want it. She’s 14 now and can smell. So whatever it was it righted itself from about the age of 10.

Not sure, but definitely pretty young, 4-5, maybe. I remember doing an activity at school where we had to be blindfolded and describe what things smelt like, and I remember finding the whole thing baffling, but wasn't really sure why 🙃 so just copied what other kids said

@Sometimeswinning that's reassuring. I didn't believe him at first but just this morning he asked me if he was doing right. When I queried this he then snorted and then sniffed and asked which one was smelling 🤦🏼‍♀️ he literally has no idea what smell is!

@ParisGellerFTW this sounds like DS, completely baffled by the idea. He seems to have no idea what smell is and makes up smells to fit in. For example if I say "mmm dinner smells good" he will reply "yes it smells like flowers" 🤦🏼‍♀️

I will take him to the GP and go from there 😁

Since covid i have lost my smell too, it's so strange!

Hopefully he's fine or it's temporary like a PP said. If not, I mean, it hasn't really affected my life. I do feel jealous sometimes when people talk about great smells like fresh baked bread or cut grass or whatever. I'd love to experience those. I made a pot of coffee the other day and DH walked in and went "God, that smells AMAZING."
Not so much the terrible smells people complain about, though 😅