Can rhinoplasty affect your sense of smell and taste?

With review and feedback from CEENTA facial plastic surgeon Susan Yanik, MD (Concord, Huntersville)

Maybe you have difficulty breathing, or maybe you don’t like the shape of your nose. Either way, you’ve decided you want a rhinoplasty. But you’re concerned about one thing. Will a nose job affect your senses of smell and taste?

How does my sense of smell work?

Substances release molecules that enter your nostrils and stimulate receptors located on the olfactory sensory neurons in the back of the nose. Those neurons send messages to your brain, which identifies the smell. Smells can also reach the sensory neurons through a channel that connects the top of the throat to the nose, such as when you chew food.

How do I taste food?

The tastes we perceive are a combination of both the sense of taste from our taste buds as well as the sense of smell. When your smell and taste nerves are stimulated, signals are sent to the brain, which translates those signals and identifies what you are tasting.

How will the surgery affect my senses of taste and smell?

For a short time after surgery, both senses will be diminished because the tissue in your nose will be swollen, which can block your airflow. As your nose heals and the swelling decreases – usually in about three weeks – your senses of smell and taste will return.

Can a nose job improve my sense of smell?

Studies have shown that in many cases, a septorhinoplasty – a nose job that improves airflow – can make your sense of smell better, CEENTA facial plastic surgeon Susan Yanik, MD, said. This is often because congenital damage or an injury that has impeded air intake has been repaired.

Can a nose job make my sense of smell worse?

Only rarely do people report their senses of smell and taste have worsened since a rhinoplasty.

Can I get a rhinoplasty at CEENTA?

CEENTA has facial plastic specialists who, like Dr. Yanik, are licensed ear, nose, and throat physicians trained to know how each part of the face functions. So, if you get a nose job at CEENTA, rest assured. Your senses of smell and taste are in good hands.

This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your doctor.