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Subscribe to RSSWhen Bridget Lewis began to lose her sense of smell, her friends and family thought she couldn't be serious.
"Everyone thought I was joking," says Lewis, who's 42 and lives in Arlington, Texas. "My mom even had fun with it, and 'tested' me. She asked me to hold out my tongue and had my little sister grab things from the kitchen, like Tabasco sauce and lemon juice and they squeezed drops of it on my tongue! When they saw I had no reaction, they believed me."
In Lewis's case, a severe bronchial infection stole her sense of smell in 2002; nine years later, it's only partially returned. Most of us have experienced a temporarily diminished sense of smell -- it's part of the super fun side effects of a cold, along with the dripping nose and general malaise. But before it happened to her, Lewis says she didn't even realize a long term loss of smell was even possible -- there is blindness, and deafness, but many people aren't familiar with the word for a lost sense of smell: anosmia.
"It's not as dehabilitating [as losing other senses]," says Dr. Beverly Cowart of the Monell Chemical Senses Center. "But I think people find it hard to relate to; I think people don't appreciate how much they use their sense of smell."
An estimated 1 to 2 percent of people in North America say they have a smell disorder, according to government figures. It's more common in men than in women, and it's much more common in older people, occurring in nearly 25 percent of men aged 60 to 69 and 11 percent of women in that age range, according to the National Institutes of Health.
High inside your nose is a grouping of cells called olfactory sensory neurons. These neurons each possess an odor receptor, which picks up on the tiny molecules released by things like a just-peeled orange, a bag of microwaved popcorn or your coworker's tuna fish lunch. The neurons then pass the information to your brain, which interprets the smell.
As Cowart explains, there are a few common ways to lose your sense of smell: a chronic nasal sinus disease, a viral infection, inhaling something toxic or a head injury. Unlike most nerves, the brain's olfactory nerve fibers are continuously replaced, "so occasionally people can gradually regain their sense of smell as new fibers grow in." And some people are born without the ability to smell.
Lacking a sense of smell can be dangerous -- anosmics wouldn't notice a gas leak, or the smell of smoke. Personal hygiene is a big worry for some. "The biggest effect is on food-flavor perception," Cowart says. "It actually creates social difficulties for people. Sometimes, people become more isolated; they don't go out as much."
Smelly stuff reaches the olfactory neurons in one of two ways: either through your nostrils, or through a pathway connecting the roof of your throat to your nose. If that second passageway is blocked, we're unable to pick up on the odors -- and, consequently, the flavors -- emitted by food.
One rainy day four years ago while Lewis was pregnant, she remembers bursting into tears over her anosmia."I was sad and I think depressed because I realized I couldn't smell the rain ... and realized I wouldn't be able to smell the scent of my newborn," Lewis remembers. "Horrible day."
On the upside, potentially smelly tasks like cleaning out the fridge don't bother her at all -- but she adds that she tends to go overboard. "I have always been scared that I could make our daughter sick — if I even suspect something has been in the fridge for too long, I throw it out. I've also burned many pots and foods in the oven because as they cooked, I couldn't smell them!"
Have you or a family member lost the ability to smell? How has it impacted your life?
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My olfactory lobe was taken out due to a head injury. Since then, I have had no sense of smell. It doesn't bother me hardly at all, and there are DEFINITE pluses to this: I teach middle school -- 5-8 graders. Trust me, I'm glad to not be able to smell them!
LOL! I once worked with a young lady who had lost her sense of smell in the same way you did.
Some years, ago, I had a Glomus tumor removed from my left inner ear. Before the operation, my doctor informed me that the op was quite serious, and I could lose facial nerves, taste, and smell.
For several years, nothing happened; then about ten years ago, I got tinnitis in the ear; about 9 years ago, I realized I was losing my sense of smell and taste.
Now, food has to be quite salty or sugary for me to even have a taste of what I am eating. As for smell, I can no longer smell my own perfume...just the alcohol in it. I miss that. When I catch a wiff of others, whose perfume is too strong, the alcohol smell is overwhelming and sickening.
I guess we don't really "know what we've got," or appreciate it until we lose it.
Due to chronic sinus issues, I haven't been able to smell for years. I occasionaly get a reprieve when I'm taking a steroid; coffee is ususally the first thing I can smell and that can be really overwhelming when you haven't smelled it in awhile. I have gotten used to it though. It comes in handy sometimes, although I do get nervous that I probably wouldn't be able to smell a fire if it were in the next room.
Major- get a neti pot, it will change your life, promise.
I lost my smell after falling on a wet floor and hitting my head in 1984. It took some time before I realized that I was not smelling what others were smelling. It can be cause for concern because I live alone and don't have someone to notice when something is burning or food is spoiled. I taste mainly sweet, salty, bitter, sour and texture. I use only the perfumes that I knew prior to losing my smell. It broke my heart when my mom and my son died and I couldn't smell their clothing. As a nurse, it has had its upsides at times, but I would dearly love to smell freshly brewed coffee, newly mown grass, almond and vanilla.
I have a very reduced sense of smell. One doctor indicates because of constant sinus swelling from allergies. I often worry about getting out of a fire because I could not smell the smoke. Also I am also realizing how much it effects my taste and I find that depressing. Doctors don't seem to want to do much because it does not cause pain. To get the swelling down I have to be constantly on expensive medicine with side effects.
See my reply to Major- get a neti pot. Effective, inexpensive and no side effects.
I have anosmia. My 2 sisters have it. I have serveral cousins that have it or a very degrated sense of smell. My Grandmother has it.
I read a lot about injury or illness imposed anosmia. But, I never see any info related to hereditary anosmia.
I've never had a sense of smell. People always tell me I'm lucky. But sometimes I wonder what I'm missing.
I have anosmia. My 2 sisters have it. I have serveral cousins that have it or a very degrated sense of smell. My Grandmother has it.
I read a lot about injury or illness imposed anosmia. But, I never see any info related to hereditary anosmia.
I've never had a sense of smell. People always tell me I'm lucky. But sometimes I wonder what I'm missing.
I lost my sense of smell after an accident (I had some fractures on my head)... The doctor said my chances of getting my sense of smell back were less than 3%. I lost a lot of weight and I was already slim (I was a size 2, and after that, sizes 0 were too big). Before the accident, I could go to a restaurant, and duplicate the dish I had, once I got home. After the accident, everything tasted like cardboard... I had to teach my children how to cook, and it was difficult because I usually would taste the food to know if I had the right amount of anything... They wanted to learn to cook because after the accident, everything I made had too much salt or not at all... They are great cooks now.
Some of my sense of smell and taste have returned, but not completely. I can cook, but I cannot duplicate a recipe from taste. The biggest problem is that I have asthma. Without a sense of smell I cannot discern I need to leave a room with alergens which could trigger an attack. But I am learning how to cope with the condition. I can taste my food and I gained the weight back. I am trying to exercise and my back is good enough now that I can have a healthy lifestyle.
My husband had a brain tumor removed, due to complications during recovery he had to have additional surgery that involved severing his olfactory nerves. The loss of the sense of smell resulted in all his food tasting like cardboard and the only things he could taste were extremely sour. Prior to the surgery he really loved to eat my food and I loved cooking for him. We both missed the enjoyment we had shared , then we came up with an idea that seemed to work. I would fix him something (like spaghetti). Place a plate of it on the table before him, but before we took a single bite he would close his eyes and remember out loud what it used to smell, taste and feel like before surgery.
I lost my sense of smell as the result of a particularly bad sinus infection. It's strange, sometimes I can smell something for a few seconds--like my perfume in the morning when I put it on or maybe the smell of pizza when it's delivered to the house. But it's just for a very brief moment and then it's gone. I really miss it when I'm cooking and especially when I'm baking. I used to be able to tell just by the smell if something was done (like cookies) in the oven, but now just have to check more frequently. I too am very self-conscious of my own odor--or rather the lack of it. Do I offend? Is my perfume too strong? I ask my kids (they're adults) and I think they're telling me the truth. I don't enjoy certain foods like I used to and I don't cook as much for my family. I'm learning to cope with it.
I lost my sense of smell after having surgery to remove a pituitary tumor. Actually, I didn't realize I had lost it, because for the first several months after the operation all I could smell was smoke. It would smell exactly like someone was standing next to me and blowing smoke in my face (no one in my family or among our friends smoked). One day that went away, and now I can't smell or taste anything (except for sweet, sour, and bitter tastes). It sounds like it would be a great way to lose weight, but I think you tend to keep eating more, figuring there HAS to be something you can taste. My greatest fear was always that I wouldn't be able to smell smoke if the house was on fire, and that actually happened a few weeks ago. If not for the blare of the smoke detector, I hate to think what would have happened to me and to my dogs. I suppose if you had to lose one of your senses, I would take this over blindness or deafness, but it's still very annoying!!! And, I think it does tend to isolate you: we don't go out to eat with friends nearly as often because it just isn't as much fun.
My husband's side of the family have little to no ability to smell. It seems to be hereditary. His grandmother, father, sister, and himself. Even his mother has a limited sense of smell. My husband can smell strong odors such as skunk or some foods cooking and that's it.
I was born without a sense of smell - known as congenital anosmia. I've never known any different. To me, I can still taste foods, exactly like they're supposed to taste... who knows how it actually compares to others. I think I'm fortunate to have never had a sense of smell, rather than losing it later in life. People, including close friends, often forget and will ask me to smell something; but it doesn't bother me. It's how I am, and for some reason or another, God didn't see a sense of smell as something I needed! I can still cook, bake, etc. I don't wear perfume, though... because I think that's too much of a guessing game. Overall, I think I'm blessed that I'm missing just my sense of smell, instead of something greater.
I was also born without a sense of smell (as far as I know). It wasn't until I was about 12 that I finally said something to my mom and brother about it. I've always been concerned with things like body odor and bad breath. I don't like to engage in any activity that could cause me to sweat, unless I am planning on it, like going to the gym or playing sports. Otherwise I don't want to risk getting stinky in the middle of the day and not being able to do anything about it.
Like others have said, food is also a concern I have. A few years ago a roommate stopped me from eating a meal I had spent an hour preparing. Apparently the chicken I used had gone bad, and he said it was stinking up the whole apartment.
My wife has a very sensitive nose and is pregnant right now wich makes her nose even more sensitive. She is bothered by the smell of things that I didn't even know had a scent. I have always thought that my tasting worked just fine, but now I am thinking that my taste is not as sensitive as others. The other night I ate something straight from a pot and thought it was delicious. When my wife took a bite she could barely choke it down because "it tasted like the pot." She also complains about food tasting like the fridge, or tasting like her purse if she carries snacks in there.
If given the choice of any of my senses to go without I would definitely give up my sense of smell over any other sense.
My mother lost her sense of smell little by little before we realized she had Alzheimer's. Apparently it's quite common. Surprised this article didn't mention that.
Never had a sense of smell (that I can remember). I don't know what I've been missing, as my family always tells me. I told mom (with a smile) she must have dropped me on my head a time or two when I was a baby. She denies it (with a smile).
But it sure never bothers me to clean out our horse stalls.
Food has only the basic tastes such as salty or sweet or bitter. Texture is more important to me than taste when eating. I don't like soft and prefer veggies less cooked.
Overall, never having had it, I don't miss it.
Yes, and your friends can "rip one" around you and not worry. ;-)
i actually encourage others to rip 'em. the louder, the better...i can't smell, so it's just fun/funny.
and to echo my fellow congenital anosmics' comments, i can't stand raw tomatoes or eggplant. too squishy in the mouth. crunch and color are what do it for me when it comes to food.
and believe it or not, a lack of smell sometimes really helps with the "relations" part of relationships. you know, if i were to believe the stereotypes about certain scents. sorry if that's crude, but it's true.
My son was born withour a sense of smell. The pediatrician told me he was making it up. Years later when he was 18 we discovered he has Kallman Syndrome. It also causes very low hormones, which he has to take every day for the rest of his life. I'm surprised Kallman wasn't mentioned in the article. So if there are any men out there who can't small and are lacking in "other areas", research Kallman.
I don't remember ever having a sense of smell and I really don't care. Doesn't bother me in the least and I can taste things just fine for the most part.
I lost my smell from a work related chemical over exposure. I miss the smell of flowers, the ocean, Christmas Trees, apples in storage, wood smoke and so much more. After years, my wife still asks me to smell this and that, almost like she hopes to catch me off guard and admit that I really can smell stuff. I can't and I miss it very much.
My sympathy goes out to those who have lost their sense of smell and miss it. I have an acute sense of smell, but it's a mixed bag. I can smell things from far away and can pick up tiny undernotes in odors and flavors, which makes good smells and tastes very pleasurable. But I never know when I'm going to be hit by a sickening wave from a Roto Rooter truck half a mile away.
I lost my sense of smell following surgery for sinusitus. Every once and a while i will get just a fleeting hint of a smell, and only if its a really strong one like rotting garbage or a woman who wore too much perfume. Even then its weird, almost like i taste the smell rather than smell it. I used to not be able to change a dirty diaper. Sure doesnt bother me now. My biggest fears are that I wont smell smoke in a fire, or that i will miss an odor thats in some way important. I dont notice it affecting my food tastes, however maybe i have just become acustomed to it, because i can definitely tell the difference between regular food, and dinner at Emeril's. The article doesnt mention much about treatments however. Has anyone ever been able to regain it?
I dated a woman once that did not have a sense of smell. I think she also did not have a sense of taste as well. She told me about the lack of sense of smell but nothing about taste. I figured it out when she would put nothing on a hamburger she was eating, saying she wanted to feel the "texture" of the hamburger. I felt badly for her. How horrible it would be to not have a sense of taste or smell.
I lost my sense of smell around 1996 due to a lifetime of bad allergies, chronis sinus infections and exposure to a host of airborne irritants at my job; after giving myself food poisoning twice in a month, I changed the way I store and save leftovers. As a former cook, I can still prepare food fairly well from memory, but that's for others' benefit, not my own. Extremely strong odors such as bleach can still barely get through, but I'll usually get a headache or eye irritation first. I miss most the ability to smell my wife's perfume...
Every time I get a cold, I lose my selse of taste and smell. I'm always afraid it won't come back but luckily, it always has so far. I couldn't taste or smell for the last 3 days because of a nasty cold so I hadn't eaten anything until today when it finally came back.
My wife tells me I'm stupid for not eating since I know what it tastes like. I tell her that there's no sense in wasting food and money on something that I can't enjoy.
Last time I had a bad cold and couldn't taste or smell for a couple weeks, I lost 15 lbs. I gained it all back in a couple days as I ate everything I missed while I couldn't taste or smell.
I lost my sense of smell at a fairly early age due to chronic sinus infections and allergies. I can smell to a certain extent, but have difficulty identifying the scents. Coffee--unfortunately--is one I do recognize. Can't stand the smell--although Kona coffee isn't too bad. But I can't smell the "rotten egg smell" added to natural gas--and most likely wouldn't recognize it if I could.
My sense of taste is quite intact, but I'm a picky eater due to the fact that I usually cannot smell and identify what I am smelling prior to eating it. If I haven't prepared the food--or it wasn't prepared by someone I know--I only eat things that can easily be identified. And sometimes the seasoning on those items is much too strong!
Overall, it isn't as much of an issue as some people would think. It does make life challenging in some respects, but it wouldn't be life without challenges, would it?
My sense of smell is highly diminished from wildfire fighting, though strong smells like an overabundance of perfume, ripping a ferocious one or diesel fumes are noticeable. Fortunately my sense of taste seems intact.
As an outdoorsman, I mostly miss the clean natural smells of plants, rain and earth. You stinkin', gussied-up humans---not so much.
I've never had much of a sense of smell - born that way. Can't smell a skunk, can't smell poo. Occasionally I can smell coffee, or an orange, or garlic - but not always. However, I can always taste my food just fine. Don't really understand how that works!
I have had an extremely weak sense of smell for as long as I can remember. I can catch a "whif" of some things but then I won't be able to smell it again. I can smell gasoline, smoke, amonia but very few "good" scents. It really doesn't bother me day to day. I can taste everything as far as I know...food tastes good to me. The weird thing is I can smell gum and toothpaste and both really irritate me. People always ask me to smell things and then I have to explain the whole story, and they always think it's odd.