RESEARCHERS SNIFF OUT DANGERS OF NASAL SPRAYS (EMBARGOED 'TIL APR. 29)

RESEARCHERS SNIFF OUT DANGERS OF NASAL SPRAYS (EMBARGOED 'TIL APR. 29)

SARASOTA, Fla. (Wireless Flash) -- Having a stuffy nose stinks -- but the treatment could make you lose your sense of smell. Researchers at the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation are reporting a case of a 47-year-old man who lost his sense of smell seconds after using a popular zinc-based nasal spray. It's been five months and the man still hasn't regained his sense of smell. Dr. Alan Hirsch says previous studies show zinc can affect the sense of smell, yet zinc-based nose sprays have become a popular treatment for preventing colds. Hirsch is presenting his findings at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Chemoreception Sciences in Sarasota, Florida.