So what happens if you lose your sense of smell?

[dmdigital]

A serious question. What happens to your sense of taste and so forth as well?

I thought I'd ask this question and see what others think may occur as there are some myths about this. I know the answer and I imagine there will be others who do too.

[KarlB]

My understanding is that nearly 80% of what we percieve as taste is actually smell. So if you lose the sense of smell you largely lose you sense of taste as well. Put simply food would taste much blander and almost 'tasteless'.

Cheers
KarlB

[ugu80]

My wife was hit by a (small) truck on a ped. xing. She suffered a fractured skull with some brain damage to the area of the brain that controls sense and smell. The same area of the brain controls both taste and smell so any damage results in loss of both senses.

[vnx205]

My understanding is that nearly 80% of what we percieve as taste is actually smell. So if you lose the sense of smell you largely lose you sense of taste as well. Put simply food would taste much blander and almost 'tasteless'.

Cheers
KarlB

Yes, I believe that if you blindfold someone, put a slice of apple under their nose and give them a potato to eat, they will be convinced that they are eating apple.

[Blknight.aus]

your sense of taste is deminished...

most of the time the only warning I get that the food is too spicey is when my ass catches fire the next day. for most people, If I can taste it then its overspiced.

that said, my sense of smell isnt totally gone, I can smell licorice and a few other things but usually the concentration has to be right up there in the "you have already recieved a fatal dose" catagory.. I can walk into a darrel lee's, stand next to the display of the licorice and just get the scent. some times I do it just for the pleasure of being able to smell something thats not going bad for my health.

[dmdigital]

My understanding is that nearly 80% of what we percieve as taste is actually smell. So if you lose the sense of smell you largely lose you sense of taste as well. Put simply food would taste much blander and almost 'tasteless'.
That's fairly close. You don't actually lose your sense of taste depending on the circumstances. I can only speek about smell and things do become blander but not tasteless.

You realise how much smell actually enhances our lives. You start to experience the true tastes and the textures of food. Sometimes you need to look at what you are eating to verify things with your mind.

Red wine is now a different beast as is whisky. Suffice to say taste is definitely only half the pleasure of those two:(

A partial to almost complete lose of smell is Hyposmia, a total lose is Anosmia.

[LandyAndy]

Look on the bright side.When somebody drops their guts its totally wasted on you!!!
How does one loose their sense of smell???
I must admit I really enjoy the smell of a good curry cooking,fresh cut lawns,the 500 roses in the main street in town when in bloom.
I wouldnt want to loose it!!!
Andrew

[MacMan]

We have two friends who have lost their sense smell to varying degrees.

First was a mate who went to the dentist to talk about root canal work. He's not one for blood and pus and passed out standing in front of the lightbox looking at xrays with the fang banger. Woke up in an ambulance having smashed his head on the hard floor and been out for a while. He was severely concussed and suffered from dizziness and vomiting for about a month. Sense of smell was gone and the neurologists thought he'd get it back. That was years ago.

He's sick of everyone making fart jokes as soon as they know.

He misses being able to taste good food.

The second case was one of the Girlie's friends who picked up a bad case of sinusitis. The snots eventually left and her sense of smell went at the same time. The medicos can't really explain it but are not hopeful much will improve. She can barely taste anything.

Both still have sensations of sweet, sour, bitterness and salt but limited receptivity to much else.

[dmdigital]

Yes, the fart jokes wear thin.

[digger]

Yes, the fart jokes wear thin.

yeah they must be on the nose....


(sorry I tried to resisit honest!)

[Narangga]

yeah they must be on the nose....


(sorry I tried to resisit honest!)

But it will get up his nose!

Don't burn the clutch on the Puma now Derek! ;)

[Gillie]

A friend was involved in a nasty accident whilst working in cattle yards. The wife had to supply photos of what he looked like so they could reconstuct his face.
You wouldn't know today but he lost his sense of smell and consequently his sense of taste. Wasn't too bad for him being a plumber but he he said the sad thing is it doesn't matter if you sit down to a bowl of corn flakes or a roast dinner it makes no difference.

[abaddonxi]

Well, for one thing, your **** don't stink anymore.

But I think that'd be the only good thing.

Oh, and you'd lose a lot of weight.

I did a rice fast a few years ago - ten days of only brown rice and sesame seeds. At the end of it I could barely eat I was so depressed about how bland and repetitive it was. And I love brown rice. My wife did the fast, too and could have kept on with it, her first meal afterwards was more of the same. I could have kept it going on pig-headedness, but my first meal was a pile of Chroizos with chilli. Reckon I would have been suicidal and skinny after a month.

Come to think of it, I can't imagine much worse to lose in the senses. Lots of things to do if you're losing hearing or sight, don't think there's a smelling-aid that'll be discreet stuffed up your nose.

Sorry mate, that sounds awful. I guess I'd get by in that situation, but it'd cut a huge hole in my quality of life.

[dullbird]

Ian has no taste or smell

[Blknight.aus]

Ian has no taste or smell

I'm not sure if I want to say...

"then you're not cooking properly"

"he let you buy a puma, have you tried a nasal decongestant"

or the one that gets thrown by my missus

"thats obvious he married you "



Come to think of it, I can't imagine much worse to lose in the senses. Lots of things to do if you're losing hearing or sight, don't think there's a smelling-aid that'll be discreet stuffed up your nose.

Sorry mate, that sounds awful. I guess I'd get by in that situation, but it'd cut a huge hole in my quality of life.


it has its advantages, like when you kneed deep in wierd stuff from a butchers thats been through a flood

you always win he who smelt it delt it even when you're holding the deck.

[dmdigital]

I'm surprised no one's come out with: "Gee, that stinks... not that you'll notice."

Anyway I'm realising that this is a lot more common phenomenon than I thought. I guess I'd only looked at it from my other medical problems that have caused it. So thanks, it mightn't cheer you up but it certainly helps me feel better.



Ian has no taste or smell
I was going to say dowse him in perfume (or engine oil), that will make him smell.

[Bigbjorn]

Vlad Tepes has lost his sense of smell. He posted that he can't tell his arse from his elbow.

[Milkman Dan]

Lost both sense of smell and taste for a few months after a bad cold.

Everthing tasted like cardboard, hot sweet coffee tasted like sweet hot water.....

Oddly no-one did any fart jokes, must have better friends....:p

[LOVEMYRANGIE]

Look on the bright side.When somebody drops their guts its totally wasted on you!!!

Andrew

Funny story.... Simone hates me telling it but you had to be there. Her sister was in hysterics and she was there....
We all know dogs like to sniff butts. A dogs sense of smell is quite acute and it tells the sniffer a lot about the sniffee.
I offered my other dog a free "get to know me" moment as a party trick one night. Bent over, called her and she obliged her nose to check out the butt. Just as she got her nose close I dropped an absolute clanger that nearly forced a "bonus...".
This drove Gypsy nuts! She sniffed and licked and sniffed some more! Everyone was LTAO.
Then, 5 minutes after, Gypsy wanders away a few feet, starts hacking and weezing and promptly threw her guts up!!!!!
Mybutt 1 , dog 0!!!!!

Cheers

Andrew