Anosmia is the medical term for either the temporary or permanent loss of the sense of smell. Anosmia can be caused by a variety of medical or environmental factors and is normally treated with specific medications. Medical researchers believe that anosmia caused by age-related neurological changes may be successfully treated by polyenylphosphatidylcholine, a naturally occurring compound that is an essential precursor for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
Anosmia
Anosmia can be caused by three different factors: problems with the nasal tissues due to an illness or damage by a chemical; blockages, like polyps or tumors, that have developed in the nasal passages; and damage to your olfactory nerves or to the part of the brain that processes olfactory stimuli.
Treatments
The three causes of anosmia require differing treatments; for instance, if the loss of smell is connected to sinusitis -- either severe or chronic sinus infections -- or a respiratory tract problem, decongestants and corticosteroid drugs can usually solve the problem, while anosmia due to an obstruction may require surgery. Anosmia caused by a neurological problem requires specialized medications that affect the brain and nervous system. In particular, anosmia linked to conditions that cause the nerves or the protective myelin sheath surrounding the nerves to degenerate, as in Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease, may respond to drugs that cause an increase in the neurotransmitters that facilitate communication between neurons in the brain. One of these neurotransmitters, acetylcholine, is derived from polyenylphosphatidylcholine.
Polyenylphosphatidylcholine
Polyenylphosphatidylcholine is a compound found within foods like soybeans, eggs, peanuts, yeast, wheat germ, whole grains, beans and fish and is also known by the names phosphatidylcholine, choline and lecithin. Polyenylphosphatidylcholine is used by the body to produce acetylcholine, one of the most common and important neurotransmitters in the nervous system. Acetylcholine is needed for the proper functioning of the brain, particularly for storing and retrieving memories.
Uses
Polyenylphosphatidylcholine is generally used to treat patients with Hepatitis C and, with less effectiveness, Hepatitis A. The RxList site reports that the compound has also been used to treat circulatory disorders, immune system problems, high cholesterol, gallbladder disease and a number of neurological disorders, including bipolar disorder, memory loss, anxiety and Alzheimer's disease, although there is insufficient evidence to prove the efficacy of polyenylphosphatidylcholine in the treatment of these conditions.
Polyenylphosphatidylcholine for Anosmia
According to Dr. Alan R. Hirsch, the director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, Illinois, he and his colleagues have been researching the use of phosphatidylcholine, or polyenylphosphatidylcholine, for the treatment of anosmia specifically in patients who suffer from Alzheimer's disease. The theory is that, as a precursor of acetylcholine, increased amounts of polyenylphosphatidylcholine available in the body will cause an increase in the concentrations of the neurotransmitter and help the nerves damaged by the disease continue to function. Dr. Hirsch reports that he has had "some success" with his research; other researchers, as reported by the Energy Times and Mama Herb sites, have also found that the compound may be useful in restoring a sense of smell to people suffering from anosmia.
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