A poor sense of smell might matter more than you thought

As one of the five major senses, you could argue that our sense of smell is the least important. Sight, hearing, touch, and taste may poll better than smell, but try telling that to someone who has lost their sense of smell entirely. The truth is that loss of the ability to smell comes with a significant cost, because olfaction serves several purposes that affect quality of life and even safety, including stimulation of appetite enhancement of the sense of taste alerting you to which foods should not be eaten (if they’re rotting, for example) warning you of danger (as with smoke warning of fire). Loss of smell can also be a sign of illness. For example, sinus infections, sinus tumors, and neurologic diseases such as multiple sclerosis may be associated with a reduced sense of smell. Smoking leads to increased mucus production, reduced clearance of airway mucus, and damage to olfactory cells in the nose responsible for the appreciation of odors. As a result, smokers often report poor olfaction and quitters may notice improvement — one more reason to quit! Certain medications (such as the statin-lowering drug atorvastatin, the blood pressure-lowering drug amlodipine, and the antibiotic erythromycin) may also impair one’s sense of smell. About 12% of people over the age of 40 report at least some trouble with their sense of smell, and it rises with age: nearly a quarter of men in their 60s reported a diminished sense of smell. Loss of smell may predict future illness For...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Alzheimer's Disease Brain and cognitive health Ear, nose, and throat Source Type: blogs