Ever walked pass an eatery when they just finish baking? Oh the aroma. It could make you pause and take a deep breath right? Taste and smells appear to to be sources of great pleasure, they ignite a spark of wonderful memories. However just like memories, these senses could fade away, or they might even just disappear, as we increases in age. Recent result of a new study has suggested that the loss of smell might be a canary in a coal mine; an early warning signalling that something else is not right in the body.
The National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project began following 3,000 adults between the ages of 57 and 85 in 2006. During a health check, the volunteers were asked to identify five smells: rose, orange, leather, fish, and peppermint. The results of the study were published here
Although the findings of these study were intriguing, but they didn't appear enough to link a loss of smell to death. It's okay to be cautious about these results.
There is something which appears a bit more intriguing to the idea of diminished sense of smell; being a symptom of another problem. The very thing which was in the past attributed to age-related smell loss might now represent an early sign of a neurodegenerative disease. Neurodegenerative diseases are mainly caused as a result of nerves damage. These Neurodegenerative diseases includes the likes of Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease Alzheimer’s disease etc.
- So what happens to smell?
The human brains is able to detect smell through receptors which are located at the high inside area of the nose and also in a channel very close to the roof of the throat..thus the reduction in taste and smell given the fact that the two senses are connected and age related. Noticeable the loss of smell is usually caused either by a damage to smell receptors as a result of an head injury, a brain tumor, nasal surgery, radiation for head or neck cancer, diabetes, smoking, or exposure to air pollutants, obesity or as a result of blockages in the nose caused by colds, sinus infections, allergies and growths called polyps in the nose, the use of certain medications, such as nasal decongestants and amphetamines for a long period of time might also result in a loss of smell.
While diminished smell could also signal an early symptoms of these conditions, neurodegenerative diseases could also result in smell loss.
- What can you do?
Once you notice that your sense of smell has faded, you do not need to jump into conclusions that you have developed a neurodegenerative disease. Loosing an higher cognitive processing of smells, such as odor identification, generally isn't perceptible to individuals. It usually is found only after specific testing, However any loss of smell which lasts over some few weeks is something which you should consider carrying out an investigation on. Diminished smell sense is capable of putting one in some danger. The inability of one to smell smoke which might stem from fire, leaked natural gas leaks and even spoiled food. Loss of smell would also affect the quality of one's life, looking at the fact that it might reduce one's ability to taste food. As a result of this, some persons might eat less this would ultimately result in weight loss and malnutrition.
Assist your doctor in making a diagnosis by reporting anything which has occurred the moment the loss of taste or smell initially began, some of these might be headaches, vision changes, nasal obstruction and a change in medication.