Researchers in Germany and Sweden have written a white paper about their work showing that olfactory dysfunction has a severe impact on quality of life.
"When the sense of smell is lost," they say, "it is not just that it becomes a difficult task to differentiate between cardboard and a hamburger, but also a sense is lost which alerts us to dangers from fire or rotten food. An even more profound impact becomes apparent considering that this sensory system may even contribute to the selection of a spouse. However, having said all this, it is probably the enjoyment of what we eat or drink that is most dearly missed when the sense of smell has been lost."
The white paper closes with a quote that captures the essence of this deeply personal problem. The quote is from Dr. Oliver Sacks fascinating book, The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat:
- "Sense of smell? ... I never gave it a thought. You don't normally give it a thought. But when I lost it - it was like being struck blind. Life lost a lot of its savour - one doesn't realize how much "savour" is smell. You smell people, you smell books, you smell the city, you smell the spring - maybe not consciously, but as a rich unconscious background to everything else. My whole world was suddenly radically poorer..."
[Editor's Note: Many people -- especially those who have experienced strong or steady chemical exposure and have developed chemical sensitivity as a result -- have an impaired, or lost, sense of smell. But people generally don't talk about hidden disabilities like this. It's a big risk to dwell on suffering. Friends and family may tire if we speak too openly or too often about it.
Many feelings emerge with such a loss, and it is unhealthy to hold in frustration and grief. Anyone with such a problem who has no one to talk with about it should consider finding at least one person in whom they can confide, even if it has to be a professional counselor.]
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