Lost my sense of smell years ago?

Question

I lost my sense of smell years ago, but I can't really remember when - it just kind of faded away when I was about 22 or so. I don't really miss it but just wanted to go through what has happened and see what you people think. Every once in a while I can faintly smell something, however 99.9% of the time I smelling nothing - any ideas on that? Also I can still taste foods, although I have found I mostly like spicy foods now as compared to when I was younger and hated them. It’s possible that my sense of taste has dulled, however from a weight standpoint I haven't gotten the benefit of losing my sense of taste, salads still taste bad and cake still taste good. So I guess my question is since I really have no sense of smell anymore and I really don't miss it (many more things smell bad as compared to good) is there a reason why I can still taste foods fine?

Answer 1

Yes. I am a larygectomy and because I no longer breathe through my nose, I am in the same position as you are in regards to smells. However, now and then I do catch a whiff of something. When I asked my ear, nose and throat surgeon about it, he said that sometimes the molecules get blow up into the nose by air movement and then I smell them. It's called passive smelling.

I have found that if a fan is going in the room where there is cooking going on I can smell it. Not like I used to of course, but enough that I can recognize most foods.

Answer 2

well, supposedly there was a study done buy an Australian doctor
about schizophrenics and the sense of smell. he followed people who had a hard time identifying certain smells and as they matured to adulthood those who had difficulties where more prone to psychosis. well the study concluded that sent is the only sense (out of five) that is first processed by the frontal cortex which is the area that is also responsible for emotional response among other things. this is why you probably heard sent is the strongest sense when it comes to memories. memories that are triggered emotionally i.e. pumpkin pie in the fall, perfume an old lover used to wear etc. so this doctor discovered that the frontal cortex was "damaged" or "wired" differently than the general population (serial killers have been shown to have smaller frontal lobes) thus the connection between sent and psychosis was made.

the interesting thing that you mention (and im no psychologist) is that psychosis ( personality and emotional disorders, paranoia schizophrenia, depression, suicidal feelings etc ) usually appear after all the changes of puberty and the brain has fully developed
between the ages of 19-23 in men (not sure about women)

Answer 3

Why do not you move see a healthcare professional. seventy 5 years without smelling it really is severe. Did you ever fart in public and informed them it wasn't you, you cant even smell something?? Sorry I were given lost there for a second. If i could not smell i ought to easily move see a healthcare professional.

Answer 4

They'll pay good money to have you work on a sewerage farm!
Mind you, your mrs may have a bit of a problem!