US Medical Term · anatomy
Olfactory Nerve
Nervio olfatorio
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Olfactory Nerve |
| Spanish (Español) | Nervio olfatorio |
| Chinese (中文) | 嗅神經 |
| Korean (한국어) | 후각신경 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Dây thần kinh khứu giác |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Nerve ng pang-amoy |
| Portuguese (Português) | Nervo olfatório |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | เส้นประสาทรับกลิ่น |
| Japanese (日本語) | 嗅神経 |
What it means
The olfactory nerve is the first cranial nerve and is responsible for your sense of smell. Specialized smell receptor cells high inside your nasal cavity detect odor molecules when you breathe in. These cells send signals through tiny nerve fibers that pass through small holes in a bone at the base of the skull, then connect to the olfactory bulbs — paired structures just above the nasal cavity inside the skull. From there, the signals travel to the brain's smell-processing areas, including areas linked to memory and emotion. This is why certain smells can trigger strong memories. Head injuries can shear the delicate olfactory nerve fibers, causing loss of smell (anosmia). COVID-19 infection was also found to commonly cause temporary or persistent anosmia.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
I completely lost my sense of smell after hitting my head — could my olfactory nerve be damaged?
Perdí completamente el olfato después de golpearme la cabeza — ¿podría estar dañado mi nervio olfatorio?
My smell has not come back months after COVID — the doctor mentioned the olfactory nerve.
Mi olfato no ha regresado meses después del COVID — el doctor mencionó el nervio olfatorio.
Is there a test to check if my olfactory nerve is working?
¿Existe alguna prueba para verificar si mi nervio olfatorio funciona?
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026