Smell disorders: When your sense of smell goes astray

We spend our days interacting with the world around us through our senses of sight, sound, and touch. But anyone who has developed complete nasal obstruction from an infection or severe allergies has experienced what it’s like to be without one of our most basic senses: our sense of smell. The many functions of smell In other animals, the sense of smell is absolutely crucial for survival, reproduction, and rearing of young. Although humans can survive without smell, research has shown that losing the sense of smell negatively impacts quality of life, even driving some people toward clinical depression. Just as other animals depend on the sense of smell as an alarm system for danger, we also depend on smell to warn us of the hazards of smoke from a fire, natural gas leaks in the home, and spoiled food. On a daily basis, smell rounds out our experiences and is often an integral part of our memory of events from years gone by. Memories of a perfume worn by your spouse or the bread being baked at your grandmother’s house when you were a child last for decades, and are often intricately tied in with strong emotions. The flavor of a meal depends heavily on the ability to smell, and without it, eating is just a bland means to dispel hunger. With so much of our social activity involving congregating at restaurants, bars, and cafes, it is understandable how someone losing the sense of smell can develop a sense of alienation. Impact of smell disorders Smell disorders affect 19% of...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Allergies Ear, nose, and throat Health Source Type: blogs