Will a broken nose affect my sense of smell?

Breaking the nose can cause swelling or blood clots inside the nose that can decrease your sense of smell. Change in the shape of bone or cartilage inside the nose can affect the airflow which can also change your sense of smell. Scent molecules are absorded into the upper midline nasal mucosa and transported to the nerves that sense smell (olfactory nerves). Rarely, especially with high velocity trauma to the nose, the delicate olfactory nerves will be broken as they enter the bone of the skull. If this occurs it is permanent and will eliminate the sense of smell.

A person might lose his sense of smell with a broken nose only if certain nerves were damaged. In addition, a broken nose or chronic nose bleeds might make it harder for a person to smell.

(This answer provided for NATA by the Georgia College & State University Athletic Training Education Program.)