Congenital Anosmia Pages

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Fascinating Facts

'Facts' may be a bit of an exaggeration, as these are things that I've picked up from all kinds of sources in the ten years or so since I noticed that I had a sense missing. I'd much rather this was a compilation of facts from visitors to the site, so please make a contribution if something occurs to you, or you notice an error.

People with a normal sense of smell generally can't make a clear distinction between a smell and a taste. For example, the "taste" of chicken is a combination of sensations from the tongue and the smell of gases that make their way to the nose during chewing.
In order to understand what food tastes like to someone with anosmia, it's important to understand exactly what the taste buds contribute to the sensation we call "taste".
In the same way that every colour is a particular combination of the three primary colours, every taste that the tongue detects is a combination of a small number of "primary tastes". These are sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami.
These five primary tastes are sensed by clearly delineated areas of the tongue. That means that if you place a grain of sugar on the "salty-sensing" part of your tongue, it won't taste very sweet.
Not all of our taste buds are on our tongue: about 10% are on the palette and cheeks.
The sense of smell is comprised of 40 million receptor cells, as compared with 1 million for the sense of "taste".
A particular smell is not simply a combination of a small number of "primary smells", in the way that a colour is a combination of primary colours. This makes it particularly hard for people who have never been able to smell to understand what smell is like.
Most senses are communicated from the detector (eye, ear, etc.) to the brain via several nerves. If one nerve is broken, a system of compensation allows the sense to be communicated through the remaining nerves. The sense of smell is particularly vunerable to damage, due to head injuries for example, because it is conducted via only one nerve. (My intuition tells me this fact isn't quite right - surely something as complex as smell needs to be conducted by more than one nerve?)
As a child without a sense of smell, it requires a considerable amount of thought to determine that something is missing. Blind children are told they can't see, but anosmic children have to find a way to work it out for themselves. (Bill B puts it rather well in the reader feedback below: "As a child I thought, I can't smell yet, but I'll learn to later.")
The sense of smell is almost completely useless in modern western society: many people with congenital anosmia are rarely aware of it during everyday life. (But not everyone - see Jeff's comment on the front page.) The logical inference from this is that smell is being evolved out of the human race, and that anosmic individuals are the most evolved members of the species. ;->

Fascinating enough for you? I'd be delighted to add any suggestions you might have. Anyway, the reader feedback below is interesting.
Plus, you can find a small collection of links is at the foot of this page. The results of the survey are available on the Community Page, if you're interested.
New! Have a look at The Smell Directory, a partially-serious attempt to build up a database of interesting smells.
Books

There is a very limited number of books on this topic. The one I am most familiar with is Tasting and Smelling, which explains in-depth about how those two senses are supposed to work. There is some good information about smell disorders towards the end as well. I have made a copy of the table of contents so you can have a look. If you have come across other useful books, please let me know so I can list them here.
Reader feedback

I have never been able to smell either. I am coming to find out that I have what is called Congenital Anosmia. I loved your page here, especially the being a child and having to figure it out on your own. My parents always thought my complaining about not being able to smell was my way of trying to get attention. I think that it caused a lot of problems with my childhood. I grew up thinking that I had to learn how to smell and I was just not catching on like the other kids, so I told noone at school about it. I faked all the science tests with the sense of smell, etc. I also am having a problem figuring out whether I can taste or not. I think I can. I taste things, but am very picky eater. I joke around about being able to taste better than anyone else, because I am lacking in one sense so I am better at another. HAHA I am sorry I am rattling on here, it is just so refreshing to find someone else that has my problem. Any word on a cure? Please write back. Dawn Dawn, USA - 5 Jan 2000
Dawn, You're right about parents thinking it's just a way of getting attention. I was quite attention-seeking as a kid anyway (actually I still am, maybe that's what the web site is for!), so it wasn't until I was in my late teens that my mother took it seriously. I didn't find that I needed to fake having a sense of smell too much, but your comment did remind me of my friend who learnt the entire hymnbook to keep her shortsightedness secret! I think you might be right about other senses being better because of anosmia. Taste is one, but I actually think I'm more "interested" in the texture of food than most people. As a result, I'm quite picky about certain things too. As to a cure, it doesn't look too hopeful. I've visited a specialist and had a brain scan which showed nothing. He also put something metal RIGHT up my nose to check for something (polyps?). You might try that if you haven't already... Max Christian, mail@max.tc, UK - 5 Jan 2000
Yesterday I took my 8 year old daughter to see an ENT because she has not been able to smell for quite some time. She can smell things a little bit, but not as much as she should. For example, if we pass a dead skunk on the side of the road she can't smell it! If I put perfume right under her nose she can smell it a little. She has allergies and is always stopped up to a point so it took us a while to finally realize that it was not because of the congestion. I KNOW she could smell very well about a year and 1/2 ago because she would constantly smell of the one perfumed candle that she loved. Now she can barely smell it. Anyway, the doctor has ordered a CT scan of her sinuses. He never mentioned anosmia, but that was the diagnoses written on her form. He made it sound as though this could be fixed. After reading your information, it sounds as though it cannot be fixed! Exactly how much can or cannot be fixed?! I'm confused. Any information you could give me would be very helpful! Julie Julie/isbell4@netzero.net, USA - 8 Jan 2000
Hello Julie, I shouldn't really give medical advice (I'm totally unqualified), but I think I know the answer to your question. The comments on the page about a cure being unlikely are about congential anosmia, meaning having no sense of smell ever. That condition seems to be impossible to cure in most cases, at the moment anyway. Your daughter has lost her sense of smell partially, and originally could smell properly. That's much more likely to be curable. Don't worry about the doctor using the word anosmia, that just means she'shaving trouble smelling. For example, polyps may have appeared in her nasal cavity. If that's the case, you may well find the problem is curable. Good luck! Max Christian, UK - 8 Jan 2000
I have congenital anosmia too. I really enjoyed your page. I don't really know anything about it. I had always thought it strange that it took me a while to realize that I couldn't smell anything. I think it was middle school before I mentioned it to anyone, but people said that I must be able to smell because everyone can so I didn't know what to think. Finally in college, I saw an ad looking for people with a bad sense of smell to participate in a research experiment. They performed the scratch and sniff test on me and said I had no or at least as good as no sense of smell. I was so happy to finally have what I had so long believed confirmed. I think you're right about it not really being an important sense anymore. I only notice it if someone comments on smelling something and usually they're complaining about a bad smell so I'm better off not being able to smell it anyway. One of the first things people ask me is whether or not I can taste anything because they can not when they have a bad cold. I think they simply are used to relying more on the smell to "taste" food while if you've never smelled anything that you naturally focus in on your taste buds and the texture of the food. Do you have any statistics as to how many people are anosmic and how that compare to how many people are blind or deaf? I'm curious to know if it's a rarer condition because if the one nerve theory is correct, I would think that there would be more anosmic people than anything. Thanks again for your webpage. melcole@mailexcite.com, USA - 26 Jan 2000
I have to agree with the consensus on not discovering my anosmia until around middle school. I realized after everyone was complaining about bad smells, and I'd always play along, saying "yeah, that smells bad" until I realized, "Hey, I'm not really smelling anything." Now, honestly, I'm ambivalent on whether anosmia is better or worse. I was intending to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, and I had been all but accepted with a perfect high school record, until two weeks before I was due to arrive at the Academy. It was then that I received a letter saying that I would not be accepted to the Academy based on my anosmia. Also, in discussions I've had with my friends about my condition, they all comment that one of the most wonderful things is the smell of a woman (which probably means nothing to those reading this). But I'm glad to find that other people actually exist with this condition. Joe Balfantz jbalz@hotmail.com, USA - 30 Jan 2000
I feel like not smelling has left me missing a part of life that everyone else takes for granted. I cannot even comprehend what it would be like to smell, even just once, just so I could get a reference point to what everybody else was just talking about. I have to have to have my roomate come into my room and do "smell checks", even though I am a neat person, and as far as putting on colonge, well forget about it if I don't have someone else there to help. To be honest, I would like to just be able to know. Everybody reading this is probably ansomic, so you'll understand this: Ever wonder if a blind person wonders if they are having a bad hair day?
Brian Bond, - 19 Feb 2000
My son is now 22 years of age and has never been able to smell. We are very interested in finding out more about why and if there is something we can do about it. I would be interested in hearing from people who have never been able to smell and what kinds of positive experiences they have found.
meeuwens@muskegon.cc.mi.us, USA - 21 Feb 2000
I want to know more about this. I am dating a woman who has no sense of smell and I find it hard to comprehend. If there is something I can do to help her, I want to. Any response would be appreciated, thanks...
NGHTDWLR@AOL.COM, USA - 21 Feb 2000
I too have congenital anosmia. I went through the same thoughts and events as others who have commented. As a child I thought, I can't smell yet, but I'll learn to later. I went to a doctor as a teen and he didn't believe that I did not have the sense of smell. He said if I could taste, I could smell. In high school my biology teacher heard that I had anosmia, but didn't believe me. He had me bend over a large jar of ammonia and breathe out, then through my nose breathe in. Of course I choked and gagged. The class got a big kick out of it. As much as we need to be informed of anosmia, so do others. Just because we cannot smell does not mean we cannot be hurt by it.
Thanks for having the forum to speak out on something only we can understand!
Bill B, USA - 24 Feb 2000
I have congenital anosmia. For a long time I thought I was the only person in the world who couldn't smell. I'm used to it now, but it always amazes me how thoughtlessly people react when you tell them you can't smell. They almost always laugh. I often wonder if they would laugh if I told them I was blind. I've accepted the fact that I can't smell perfume or the roses my husband gives me, but I would pay dearly to smell by newborn baby just one time.
Barbi/inbamanow@aol.com, USA - 25 Feb 2000
WOW! This page is a big help to me, thank you so much for it! I remember one day as a child my mother was frying bacon downstairs and my little brother said "mom is makin' bacon" I did not know how he knew this so i started to ask questions and one thing led to another and I found out that when I was born I had a very high fever and this might of (for lack of a better word) melted my smell nerves (or whatever they call it) today when asked if I could smell anything what would it be? I answer "a skunk" it intrigues me to think of something that "smells" so bad! next would be a rose (of course) please anyone e-mail me and tell me what you would like to smell. spurofthemoment@mindspring.com02/29/00 Tim
spurofthemoment@mindspring.com, USA - 29 Feb 2000
I am a congenital anosmiac, which is due to Kallmans syndrome. I had the same problem as several other posters in that people didn't believe I had no sense of smell, and I really didn't realise it until my mid-20's. I'm able to detect (not necessarily smell as others do)something burning and solvents (mostly by a mild burning sensation in the nose).I had one embarassing, for the girl concerned, episode. She had worn a perfume which affected me (several brands do), and I asked if she was wearing a particular brand of perfume. She said "why yes. How did you know?", and she was somewhat horrified whe I said "well my nose is burning, and my eyes are watering."It however has benefits as, in part of my work, I work in a sewage treatment plant, where not being able to smell the place is considered a blessing.RegardsKevin Ettery
kpettery@pcug.org.au, Australia - 1 Mar 2000
I have never had a sense of smell and when I was a child I used to think that my friends were pretending that they could tell what was for lunch by the smell from the school kitchens. My parents only realised that I could not smell when we went to a farm park and I could not smell the billy-goats!The only way I can smell anything is if it has a very strong smell, is held right under my nose and I sniff hard. Even then I can't what it smells of, just that there is a smell. My sense of taste is ok, but I know I can't taste herbs or anything subtle. My dislikes tend to be due to texture rather than taste; liver, pears, coconut and I never liked rice because it doesn't taste of anything at all.Strangely it has only been in the last 2 or 3 years that having no sense of smell has started to bother me.
Cat, UK - 2 Mar 2000
Do you know how I found out what my inability to smell is called? It was an "answer" on Jeopardy- anosmia. I'm so glad I know! I was able to find this wonderful site. I too thought I was the only one with this problem. I found out because about 6 years ago I was in my bedroom reading. My mom had gone into town to buy some things and she left some cookies in the oven by accident. Three hours later she came home and apparently the house smelled ghastly. She came into my room, which was next to the kitchen, and asked, "Why did you not take the cookies out of the oven? Couldn't you smell them?". I told her I couldn't. Pow! I knew what was up. Usually it isn't a problem, but when I want to know about personal odor it irks me. I also feel out of place around stores such as Bath & Body Works filled with scented lotions & such. I wish I could buy perfume that smells good to me, not the other people I am with. I wish I could smell the legendary "dirt after rain" smell. I wish I knew if I had nice smelling hair or not. I also worry about gas leaks & such, but I do have a carbon monoxide detector so I guess I am safe. I get many different reactions to the statement "I don't have a sense of smell". Many people don't believe me, or don't believe I can taste things but not smell them. Usually I get asked how I knew, or if there is a cure. Then I get told either you're lucky or "oh! you'll never smell ____". I am sorry to go blahbity blah blah but as Dawn said it's refreshing to know there are others in the same boat!
Abbie- ninjasquid@yahoo.com, Idaho, USA - 15 Mar 2000
Well, I searched under "sense of smell" and found this page. I have the unique distinction of being a person who has Congenital Ansomia, (Wondering just how to pronounce that correctly) who has on a very few occasions experienced a full sense of smell when first adjusting to medication (Ritalin) taken for ADD. Within the first week of taking 10 mg of Ritalin, I found one day while organizing my spice rack that I was smelling or should I more correctly describe "tasting" cinnamon that had fallen and broken open. It was the most wonderful experience! There were moments, that snuck up on me...when I realized that I was smelling. Once I became adjusted to the medication the occurances vanished. For me, I believe that my brain is just unable to read the signals of smell sent it's way and I was hoping that someone might know of research of diet or supplements that would stimulate again, that area of my brain. I must say, the experience was very desirable and one that (knowing now what I miss) I have a great interest in capturing again. Jennifer
jenasingz@aol.com, USA - 19 Mar 2000
I have never been able to smell. It took me many years to come to that conclusion. I always thought that I never learned to smell. As a child, that made me feel dumb. I feel this was the main reason that as a child I lacked self confidence and self esteem. I have always had a great fear of fire knowing that I could never detect it with my nose. I had a fear of having children knowing that I could never detect their dirty diapers. I now have two children and feel that God has given me the intuition (sixth sense) to know when my children need to be change. I am 37 years old and my parent still don't understand that I can't smell. My husband is my greatest supporter. He smells for me. I feel that I am missing out on a wonderful part of life but I have adapted ,and have come to terms with it. When anyone asks me what I would change about myself, having the ability to smell is always my answer. Let's pray for a cure!!
Cindy, ? - 24 Mar 2000
Yes, I have congenital anosmia as well. I figured it out around the same time as the other people here. I have found that i believe I have an increased tactile sense. I also rely very much on texture as far as taste is concerned. I have only met one person that could describe smell, in terms of other senses, in such a way that i could possibly imagine what they were talking about. I found that somewhat insightful, but I have no idea how accurate my imaginations are. I have a wonderful roommate who smells my clothes for me and tells me if I stink, but also, no one ever says I stink. It appears that I very rarely produce chemicals that make a person smell bad even when sweating profusely or not showering for three days. I think anosmia has its pros and cons, but regardless, i still can't smell and no one ever believes me.
brooks, USA - 3 Apr 2000
Finding this site has meant so much to me. I am 23 yrs. old and have never been able to smell. I have seen many specialists and had the CAT scan and didn't find out anything from those stupid doctors. They acted like I was lying. Just last week I found out the name of my condition because it was a trivia question on a radio station. Like other people have stated, I too am a very picky eater. I judge what I will eat by how it looks. I don't like many vegetables or fruit. My picky eating presents alot of problems. Anosmia can be very dangerous. I have a gas stove and once I had not turned it off all the way and when my husband came home hrs. later he immediatly smelled the house full of gas. I had no idea. I had never met or heard of anyone who has anosmia before this website. I thought I must be the only one in the world. The people on this site are the only ones who understand what it really means to never smell. I read that this is genetic. Noone in my family has this. Does anyone know how far back in ancestors this problem could be related??? Please email me so we can chat about it.
Keisha tks@bellsouth.net, USA - 4 Apr 2000
i have never been able to smell i have septo optic dysplasia with possible endocrine problems
mcqt@aculink.net, usa - 7 Apr 2000
I would just like to say that my anosmia is caused by a genetic defect called Kallman's Syndrome or hypogonaditropism. I realized I did'nt have a sense of smell when I was 12, a friend wanted me to smell her new lip gloss, :O) and I couldn't. I was certain I just didn't know how, I thought I was doing something wrong. I lied and told her it smelled great (laugh). I would like to ask anyone out there, if you have any information on kallman's or you also suffer from it, to please email me. I have researched but I am interested to know if there is a way to restore smell. Thank you.
faieriedst@aol.com, United States - 8 Apr 2000
I am so happy to have found this site. I am 25 and like the rest of you, it took me awhile to discover I had no sense of smell. I was reading the Little House on the Prarie series. These books are very descriptive, especially concerning smells. I realized I could imagine eveything described except the smells. I tried to learn to smell, but I never felt dumb b/c I couldn't. My parents didn't beleive me for years and years. I was tenwhen I first told them, and when I was a senior, my dad asked my sister if I was faking it. She said even I wouldnot carry a joke for that long. I have faked it "your perfume, cologne, food, ect. smells great" but now I usually just say I can't smell. Most people don't believe me, and I always get the "Can you taste" question.I think I have a greater sense of taste than I would otherwise. I am not a very picky eater, but I do rejectfoods based on texture. I love food and everything I eat seems to have its own flavor. I hate to ramble, but it is so great to find others who have been there.
Katie, USA - 11 Apr 2000
Glad to find that I'm not alone. I was about 8 when a moment of absolutely silent flatulence and it's attendant response from my pals convinced me that something was not quite right. I had developed a mental construct to explain "smell". Smell was the gestalt or essence of that particular object or thing. I now know that there is an experience that I am missing but I do retain the concept of experiencing the "wholeness" of things. Thanks for hosting this site.
jhenrick@direct.ca, Canada - 16 Apr 2000
Hi there, I am 23 years old and suffer from congenital anosmia as I have just learned. I never took the time to research why I am not able to smell and decided to tonight. My mother was also born without a sense of smell, however we do not think it has gone back any further than that in the "family tree." My husband is always smelling things and wishes I could enjoy the world with a sense of smell. He is always telling me I should go to a specialist and see if there is anything that could be done to correct the problem, perhaps surgically. I have been hesitant just because I think it may be overwhelming to all of a sudden have a sense of smell when you have lived your whole life without it. Someone has mentioned accupuncture as a possible cure but I don't see how that could really cure this problem. I often think I am alone, but after coming across this page I definitely do not think that anymore. I'm glad to know I am not the only one out there with this case. My friends find it amusing to ask me day after day if I can smell something as if I will one day be able to just smell it. It is hard for them to understand. Well, if there are any of you who would like to email me, please feel free. It would be cool to have a friend with this rare abnormality. I have really enjoyed this site. Congrats to whoever it is that decided to start this!
smyln1@hotmail.com, USA - 17 Apr 2000
I'm 25, and as far as I can remember, I've never been able to smell. Like people here, I faked it growing up, but then that got to be tiring. People then didn't believe me when I explained that I can't smell! Everyone always asks if I can taste, and I tell them that yes, I do. I think I taste very well (in terms of being able to differentiate things, and that there are things I like / don't like based on taste), but I figure that I don't necessarily taste things the way other people do.I've always thought I got along fine without being able to smell, until this past weekend. Some friends offered my husband and I some lemon liqueur they had recently bought. Everyone else commented how lemon-y it tasted. Me, I could have been drinking straight vodka and it wouldn't have tasted any different! That was a real bummer - I began to wonder how many other things I was missing out on.I keep meaning to get it looked into further, perhaps participate in a research study. Maybe finding this site was just the kick in the pants I needed to do that.
Amy, USA - 26 Apr 2000
I have read other personal comments and echo same sentiments of others suffering from congenital anosmia. I don't think I have ever had a sense of smell but did have mononucleosis at age 5. My Mother told me recently that she recalls trying to get me to smell roses in the garden as a toddler and that I showed no interest. Probably the event that confirmed my lack of smell after repeatedly saying I could not smell, was burning a pudding on the stove and my mother's exasperated "Couldn't you smell it burning?". When I said "No" I could tell by the look on her face that she knew I really couldn't!My doctor treated my inquiry about my lack of smell jokingly with a suggestion of exploratory brain surgery after a CAT scan. I have not pursued any additional medical advice but am researching for myself on the net and may eventually ask for a referral to a specialist if I find one close to home that could at least diagnose if it is congenital or not. It is great to read the stories of others as I have only met two others that feel thet have never had a sense of smell. There is hope as much research has been done in the last decade and we must push for more. Should a doctor's response not be as sincere and concerned as if you had said you could not hear or see? The sense of smell is the strongest connection to memories of the past!
mferg@cgocable.net, Canada - 26 Apr 2000
I'm another congenital anosmiac...I was 3 when taking a lesson in learning to tie my shoe (because my older sister had mastered it) when I asked that I also be taught to smell. My sister has a KEEN sense of smell, and would always put her nose in the middle of something and 'relish' it. I, myself, thought it 'pleasant' to stick my nose in a beautiful flower, and "say" it smelled good...but all I really was experiencing was that the petals fluttering against my cheeks and eyes 'felt' good. I couldn't understand at that time why my sister would stick her nose so deep into a pot of stew and oooh & aaah about it...all I could get from it was the feeling of steam coming up and I knew that she could not possibly be raving about that. I have long suspected since then that my condition was due to being born with a cleft lip & palate...I assumed after learning about the different stages in the fetal stage that when my lip & palate did not form together that somehow my olfactory sense did not form also...or, was it when I had the plastic surgeries that the sense was 'destroyed'. I have NO answers. My taste to me seems very complete. I have total taste sensation...salty, sweet, bitter & sour...I can taste from the back of my tongue to the tip, as my less than perfect figure can attest! :) My father was a pharmacist and when I was in my early teens he had me try zinc pills for the problem, and I considered it a waste of time. Maybe I didn't try for a long enough period. Well, this is my story...I guess my main concern is wondering if there is some kind of brain damage that I might have. What does it mean if you can't smell? What kind of deficiency do I have? Of course I have the usual worries, is there something burning, how does my home smell, how do I smell, what if I had a gas leak...and gosh, how I wish I could smel
joni_1000@yahoo.com, USA - 28 Apr 2000
I am thankful to this site that I could find the name for my problem.It feels very bad to be not able to smell anything.I wish I could find remedy for this problem instantly.
neeraj_sharma2000@hotmail.com, INDIA - 29 Apr 2000
After all my life without a sense a smell I have finally found people the same as me. I was born in Southampton, UK but have been in Australia now for 32 years. I am now 43. Having never had a sense of smell has never bothered me until now. I really would like to smell perfumes, flowers and other things a female should be able to do. Jenny
Jenny_copley57@yahoo.com.au, Australia - 30 Apr 2000
cjskid3, in response to your question, I lost my sense of smell when I was 14 due to a concussion I got from a horse riding accident. I too have experienced "phantom" smells, and I have read that this is not uncommon for people who lose their smell due to head trauma. Sometimes they last for a few minutes, other times they last all day. But I have never had one that lasted longer than that, and they have never made me nauseous, even though sometimes they are unpleasant. Have you talked to a doctor about it?
Becki, - 5 May 2000

mstoy@sfcpa.edu, - 19 May 2000
Like many of you, I am delighted to have found this site. I have never met anyone with this condition and people's reactions are always the same - amazement. I am sometimes made to feel like a party-piece!! I have never had a sense of smell - but didn't realise it until I was about 9 or 10. I didn't really twig that anything was strange when travelling with my two brothers past a sewerage works, they would insist on closing the windows - and I couldn't work out why! I think it was at the Brownies when I realised something was wrong when I was the only person who couldn't distinguish the difference in taste between Opal Fruits (or Starburst as they are now sadly known), although I had no idea why this might be.Apart from this, I don't think my taste is particularly impaired and I certainly enjoy my food - for which I am thankful. My partner is very keen for me to seek a cure for this condition, but I'm not so sure. As they say, what you've never had, you never miss. I also imagine that if I suddenly gained a sense of smell it might be quite stressful being unable to identify what those smells are.My only bad experiences through having no sense of smell were nearly poisoning my work colleagues by unwittingly putting rancid meat in their sandwiches. I was saved at the last minute before serving them! And my duvet catching fire whilst I was in the bed - again caught just in time so as to cause no damage.Other than that, for the most part I think I'm just as happy without it.I would be keen to hear from anyone with their own close shave stories, or just general information about this condition.Emma
Emma Jepson ejepson@globalnet.co.uk, UK - 21 May 2000
I was so happy to find this site. I have never had a sense of smell either. I figured it out in 2nd grade thanks to my teacher who had us do a science experiment. I couldn't do it! And, since I was always a good student, I was affected. I told my mom, she told the doctor, but there was no help. Now, I'm a teacher, and during the day my little friends are helpful in smelling things for me. I don't miss it often, but I'm sure women can relate when I say that I'd love to smell the man I'm in love with. I can just tell it would be wonderful.
Karen, USA - 24 May 2000
Recently, I suffered severly with the flu, and I hadeverything that is associated with it. However, after my sickness had passed, I realized that I had lost my sense of taste and smell. My docter told me not to worry because this happens sometimes to some people. This is so scary as well as embarassing for me. I have a young child and unless I feel his clothing, I am not able to tell that he needs changing andI am not able to tell if my food is good or spoil. This waiting is taking much too long. I have never heard of anyone who did not have these senses. Help!!
o35goodgirl@aol.comUSA, USA - 28 May 2000
I lost my sense of smell in a car accident and it is a handicap. I receive NO sympathy from family or friends and I will never adjust to their lack of caring and concern.
Baatzdesignsinc@aol.com, USA - 31 May 2000
I think my grandson, age four, is unable to smell since birth. He has a condition called hypopituitarism which I believe may be the cause. I am interested in finding out how they test for the sense of smell, when there is nothing to compare to. IE. How does Sam know he doesn't smell a rose?
santana@danet.net, US - 1 Jun 2000
I never realized how many people suffer from this. My story is somewhat different, I am 53 yrs. old and have always been able to taste and smell until 3 1/2 yrs. ago. Over the past 8 yrs, I've been getting sinus infections and lost my smell/taste but once It cleared up I was fine until a few yrs. ago when thae smell/taste didn't come back for months then onece in awhile it would return, only to go again later. I had 2 nasal surgeries, but no change and recently whent to a new ENT, well they did allergy tests and found I'm highly allergic to several things so i've gone on allergy shots (had 3 so far) Drs. seem to feel there's hope for me. It is a terrible thing to have and for all who have never smelled i am so sad for, but it is also hard eating things knowing how they taste but not tasting a thing, these shots my help, they may not but i do know when i hear of people with life threating diseases .. i'll keep my problem
ricnicdel@enter.net, USA - 6 Jun 2000
I have recently been told that I will not regain my sense of smell , lost after a severe head cold.
ethorley@dryden.net, Canada - 7 Jun 2000
I have lost my sense of smell for unknown reasons. I do get days or moments when it returns. It seems when I had undergone Progestern injections my smell would return. Could it be hormonal? I would appreciate any input.
jrkbrcr@aol.com, USA - 7 Jun 2000
I lost my smell after a very bad cold. Prior to this my sense of smell was very sensitive, I would smell oduors others would not be able to smell.I dont know if it will ever come back. It has been almost a year now and miss my sense of smell. I do not know what really caused this, the medication i took for the cold or the cold itself. At the timeof the cold, after it was clearing my smelling was not normal, and my tongue would be stiff and drywhen I would wake up in the morning. My sense of taste seems to be ok, I can taste sweet, salt, bitter, etc but the smell is not. At times I smell but the detection is not correct, for example I try to smell a mango, but the smell isnot like a mango, or would try to smell a match burning or a cigarette smoke and the smell is not correct.At times I dont detect anything. I am trying to get my smell back without surgeries or other medicines.If anyone had a similar case and totally recovered, I would like to hear from them.
mfnoor@hotmail.com, - 9 Jun 2000
I am glad to know this is not only my problem! My family finds it hard to believe that I have no sense of smell.I always went along with anyone who said, "The stew smells delicious!" Thanks for putting on a forum. It helps a lot.
liz, USA - 14 Jun 2000
I don't remember ever having the capability to distinguish between 2 items by smell.When I was 6(1951) I had a tonsillectomy which worked but the related adenoids grew back.The doctor decided to use Radium to burn the adenoids out. I assume that was "the last straw" as I have no sense of smell now whatsoever. A skunk is just another kitty. Cabbage is just another vegetable . Doctors just shrug.
peteandlo2@aol.com, U.S.A. - 21 Jun 2000
About a year and a half ago, I noticed a gradual but distinct loss of taste and smell which has now become almost total. A recent CT scan of my nose and sinuses showed a badly deviated septum with enlarged turbinates filling in behind the deviation. To my knowledge, I've never had a broken nose(the most common cause of a deviated septum). Although the doctor has given me an 80% chance of correction through surgery, I have opted for alternative treatment through a nasal/sinus regimen of saline spray, Neosynephrine and Nasonex. Today is my first day.I'm wondering whether the turbinates filled a space left by the diviated septum or growth of the turbinates FORCED the septum to deviate.At any rate, if the nasal/sinus regimen doesn't work, I'll opt for surgery.I'd sure be interested to hear from anyone who has had a similar experience.Gibson Durden
mgdurden@yahoo.com, USA - 29 Jun 2000
Well, I dont know how but I lost my sense of smell about 3 months agosince then I have lost 20 lbs because food is not enjoyable without this very important sence. I has been toldI must get a ct scan. What would this show? and Why does this happen all of the sudden.Mike BArtholomew
mikebart@att.net, usa - 2 Jul 2000
hi! My name is fiona Guadarrama. I live in Mexico city. I don't know if i never could smell or if i lost it. but i really want to know what i can do to sane it. i really need to smell. please answer as soon as posible. bye fiona :)My other mail is fionas22@yahoo.com
fiona_gu@hotmail.com, mexico - 3 Jul 2000
Nice to think that I'm one of 'the most evolved members of the species', instead of just a freak!No, seriously, it's nice to know there are other anosmics about! Thanks for the page!
Heidi Arnold heidiarnold@hotmail.com, wales - 7 Jul 2000
I recently had a flue type illness and lost my sense of smell. I, too, have had a cat scan which showed no abnormalities so I was referred to a Taste and Smell Clinic at the University of Connecticut in Farmington. They sent me a questionnaire and I submitted it but I have had no response as yet. Probably they know they can do nothing to help me. I miss being able to smell and taste. I don't know how to keep house. If my puppy wet the carpet, I only knew it by smell (it never shows). He is pretty well trained but I wonder if I am missing spots. I couldn't smell my lilacs this year and worse I couldn't smell my NEW CAR. I always loved the new car smell. If I ever find out anything from the clinic that will benefit others I will most assuredly post it here. Thanks for sharing
BGINIA@AOL.com, USA - 11 Jul 2000
Yep... same story. Congenital, didn't know it, no one believed me. I am a former American Naval offiicer. While on exchange with the Canadians I had an appointment with an ENT guy. I mentioned to him that I had never been able to smell. He showed keen interest, did the scratch and sniff tests and a CAT scan. In the end he was satisfied that I was anosmic (he was the one who gave me the gift of the word) and he told me that he couldn't do anything about it. He explained that when I thought I was smelling ammonia that it was only because ammonia is an irritant to the lining of the nose. I was also born without upper canine teeth. The dentist told me that a number of people are like that and there is a theory in dentistry that it could be the sign of another evolutional change in humans to allow more space for a bigger brain. Might support the anosmia-evolution idea :).
David Gordon "david@amazon.com", USA - 14 Jul 2000
Although most of the time I have no sense of smell at all I have rare moments when smell 'bursts' upon me and I feel like a dog sniffing happily. But it doesn't last and I soon sink back into the non-smelling mode. Does this happen to anyone else?
cliffrit4u@aol.com, England - 19 Jul 2000
I also have never been able to smell, but I was not aware of that fact in my childhood. I always thought in my mind that I was able to smell, when in fact I was associating the feelings I got in my nose to certain things. For example, if I walked into a kitchen and the air felt warm in my nose I would say "I smell something baking" when in fact I was not "smelling" something baking, I was feeling the warmness in the air that I associated with something baking. Another example would be when I step out of the house on a cool autumn day I say something like "I can smell the crispness in the air", it's actually just a feeling of the cool air when I breathe through my nose. Because of this misinterpretation of what "smelling" is I did not realize until my pre-teens that I was missing one of my senses (which is understandable since no one except yourself knows if you can smell or not and no one ever tells you what smelling something is supposed to be like - they just assume you have that sense).
Kathy U, U.S.A. - 11 Aug 2000
I was born without a sense of smell, however I am able to taste. It cannot be true that smell effects taste just perhaps acts in conjunction with. It is the Olfactory organ that does not function for me. The hair sensors in my nose do react to strong odours, but I have no way to deferentiate between odours, it simply makes by nose itch.
cariad@ntlworld.com, Wales, UK - 11 Aug 2000
I was born without a sense of smell, however I am able to taste. It cannot be true that smell effects taste just perhaps acts in conjunction with. It is the Olfactory organ that does not function for me. The hair sensors in my nose do react to strong odours, but I have no way to deferentiate between odours, it simply makes by nose itch.
cariad@ntlworld.com, Wales, UK - 11 Aug 2000
I WORK FOR A RUBBER CO HERE IN MINNESOTA THE FUMES FROM THE MACHINES TOOK MY SMELL. MY UNION IS WEAK SO I MUST WORK THERE 10 MORE YEARS TO RETIRE
MICHAEL OBRIEN MJ4OB@AOL.COM, USA - 12 Aug 2000
Guess what I cannot smell either, I never really noticed. At school I used to revel in the glory of smelling really bad things (Like 3 week old milk) and making out I was relly tough. There are down sides to being Anosmic but hey if you never had it you will never miss it! Look on the brightside your partner never has to worry about garlic breath, changing diapers is like cleaning chocolate, You never gag when there is a really bad smell and you never suffer from "He who smelt it dealt it"
Neil Dance, UK - 16 Aug 2000
Hi Max. What a fun page! I haven't had a chance to read through all the posting yet, but I'll come back another time to finish. Yep, I'm congenitally anosmic, too. Until today I'd never really thought to search for a page on it. I don't have many memories of when I figured out that I had it, but I do remember distinctly when my Mom finally realized. I was about 18 years old and she was in the kitchen cooking. I came up and asked what she was cooking and she said "Onions. Can't you smell them?" "Nope. I told you I don't have a sense of smell." "You really don't, do you? We need to get you to a doctor!" So, after years of my saying it, she finally paid attention. The doctor, by the way, wasn't able to do anything. Years later I was living in Boulder, Colorado when National Geographic Magazine did a special issue on the sense of smell and mentioned the Rocky Mt. Taste and Smell Clinic in their articles. So I called the clinic up and went in to Denver for a test. They were working on a "scent scale" using a series of small vials with different scents in each. I failed with flying colors. Then they tested my taste by putting drops of different sweet/salty/sour/bitter drops on my tongue - first just with my mouth open, then with my mouth open and my nose held close, which was no handicap for me! They said that, like people who are blind and seem to hear better than others, I _seemed_ to have a better sense of taste for the basic sweet/salty/etc. flavors. In fact, this doesn't mean I (and the rest of us anosmics) really do have a better sense of taste. It means that we pay more attention to the signals we do get because there aren't other flavor signals coming from the nose. They also did a biopsy of the small place in the nose where everyone's smell sensors are located. They said that for most people who have anosmia from a head trauma, the biopsy shows that the small passage from the nose through the skull to the olfactory lobe of of the brain - that passage has been been blocked and the nerves in the nose are all tangled up where they tried to regrow and couldn't get through. In mine they found no nerves at all, and they said they didn't know what that meant. The biopsy, by the way, was fairly unpleasant, involving a small cutting/grabbing device on the end of a probe, a little bit of pain - and a VERY bloody nose. Like others who hav e written in, I've often felt insecure about body odors and colognes. I've never had any food poisoning incidents from the anosmia, but I've had occasional bites of bad food. In general I try to ask someone else to take a wiff - or just toss it out - if I have any questions. I've also had the skunk experience. My wife and I will be driving along and she will say "AHHHHH!" I'll say "What?!!" "SKUNK!!!!". On occasion it has occurred to me that a dead skunk in a box would be a good way to clear space in the computer lab at school!Here's a suggestion for the website - since we all lack experience with smells, let's post what little information we have been able to get from others about the nature of smells. For intance, I have have been amazed to find out that, not only does imminent rain have a smell, it has a _different_ smell than imminent snow! Who'd have guessed that? Also, as someone mentioned, babies are supposed to smell good. And, apparently, everyone has their own distinct smell, but in a _good_ way, and the smell on a parent's or spouse's clothes can be very comforting to some people when that person is away. Also, according to the National Geographic issue (around 1987 I think), there are frequently close links between smells and memory. The non-anosmics, apparently, can have intense flashes of memory triggered by smells. I can't think of any other bits I've gathered about smells, at the moment... I'm always asking people about it. I'd love to hear what others of us have found surprising about smells. Let's start a Smell Primer for Congenital Anosmics.Thanks again for putting up the website.Scott Standifer
standifers@missouri.edu, USA - 16 Aug 2000
EVER SINCE I WAS BORN I HAVENT BEEN ABLE TO SMELL. I DIDNT FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME UNTIL I WAS 13 YEARS OLD WHEN A NEOROLOGIST DID A TEST TO SEE IF CERTAIN SMELLS TRIGERED MIGRAIN HEADACHES AND THAT IS WHEN MY MOTHER AND I BECAME AWARE OF IT. I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT EVERYTHING SMELLED THE SAME AND THAT A ROSE SHOULD SMELL GOOD BECAUSE OF WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE AND THAT DOG POOP SHOULD SMELL BAD BECAUSE OF WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE. I AM INTERESTED IN STUDIES GOING ON ABOUT ANOSMIA AND IF AND WHEN THERE WILL EVER BE A TREATMENT FOR IT.
Blooeyz13@aol.com, USA - 17 Aug 2000
I have just lost my sence of smell, I'm looking for information, and this site makes me feel like because I once had a sence of smell my condition is not as important, well I miss the smell of bacon, perfume, fresh cut grass, the beach, and a million others. The sence of smell is in no way useless like you may think. It can reignight memories that you have completly forgoten simply by walking into a room and smelling somthing that reminds you of your childhood. I thank you for your help.
, - 18 Aug 2000
My apologies to the previous poster -- for a while the site had a note on it that made it sound like non-congenital anosmics weren't welcome. That wasn't my intention, and I'm very sorry if you felt excluded.
Max Christian, UK - 20 Aug 2000
I lost my sense of smell three weeks ago,I'm just looking for some help and suggestions from your group. Franky
franco_mori@hotmail.com, Italy - 20 Aug 2000
I have a neighbor girl who is 13 and lost her sense of smell as a baby when she was bit by a bug (or mosquito) or something like that and it affected her sense of smell, causing her to lose it. Is there anything to repair this kind of damage? Any tests to run, any doctors to see?
pmatzeder@aol.com, USA - 21 Aug 2000

, - 21 Aug 2000
Although I have belonged to an anosmia egroup for months, I am getting a lot of useful, familiar perspectives from this site! It is fantastic to hear other people say comments that non-anosmic people deem ludicrous, like: "I can tasteeven though I can't smell," "I was in middle school before I realized I couldn't smell," "I thought someone would need to teach me how to smell, and if I just tried harder it would happen," etc. I can completely relate to all thosecomments, but people think I'm crazy when I say them. "How did you NOT know that you couldn't smell??" they'll exclaim. To me it makes perfect sense. Just like it makes sense to me that as far as I can tell, I *can* taste things just fine. I know what I like and what I don't like, I know the difference between strawberries and apples, white chocolate and milk chocolate, and so on. I only have problems with subtle things, like spices, and differentiating between hazelnut vanilla Starbucks coffee and plain old instant generic coffee. Anyway, I think I only came out of the closet as an anosmic during my freshman year at college (I faked it up until that point), and I only learned the term "anosmia" two years ago. I'm 26 years old and my anosmia is congenital. I only learned that it is congenital last month, when I finally went to see Dr. Henkin at the Taste and Smell Clinic in Washington, DC--he is the top taste and smell disorders expert in the country. I always thought my anosmia was caused by the craniosynostosis with which I was born, but Dr. Henkin informed me that it is actually congenitaland it is caused by faulty olfactory stem cells. It is essentially curable with medication (Theophyline, normally given to asthmatics), but it is a very long process, and there are no guarantees (Dr. Henkin's success rate wi
Jennifer Boyer, US - 22 Aug 2000
(sorry, above post got cut off!) ...[Dr. Henkin's success rate with] this medicine and congenital anosmics is high, though). Unfortunately, the diagnostic tests alone put me severely in debt, as they are not covered by my insurance, so I can't afford to pay for the treatment itself, which is incredibly frustrating!However, the way I look at it, I don't know what I'm missing when I can't smell things, so I suppose I can hang on as an anosmic for a few more years, until I can afford treatment and finally smell my loved ones, the scented candles in my apartment, and rain showers! In the meanwhile, I will be content with menthol and mint, two substances that cause pleasant chemical reactions in my dead nose (unlike substances that cause unpleasant reactions: cleaning products, ammonia, hairspray, nail polish remover, etc.)
Jennifer Boyer, US - 22 Aug 2000

julie -ann, - 22 Aug 2000
just discovered this website,via Daily Express artical. I have never been able to smell, thrilled to know it has a name!spent a lot of years convincing people that I didnt have a cold or that I wasnt lying. biggest regret is not being able to smell my babies after their baths! agree about poor taste buds though.
julie -Ann, England - 22 Aug 2000
I lost my sense of smell entirely after a bicycle accident 3 years ago. I was unconscious for about a week and am glad I can still walk and talk. I've pretty much given up hope of my ability to smell ever returning. I'm hoping to share and learn from others with this condition. Thanks. Jill Mitchell
jillandjackie@aol.com, United States - 22 Aug 2000
Hi,I like the site. I am going to add it to the links section of my anosmia page, which I am updating at this very moment. I have never been able to smell because of the condition I was born with.. arhinia, which is the absence of the nose. Because of arhinia, my olfactory system is non-existent. I have learned a lot about anosmia since I discovered the name of my condition (arhinia) more than three years ago. Glad to see a site devoted to those of us who have never smelled.Kristi in MO
Kristi, USA - 24 Aug 2000
Well after 33 years of wandering why I could not smell (andI thought I was the only one) I have been informed by my fertiliy specialist that it is due to a genetic disorder called Kallman's syndrome which has left me with hormonal problems and congenital anosmia. Would love to hear from anyone who has information about this syndrome.
Karen millfloor@aol.com, Australia - 25 Aug 2000
"[...] inference from this is that smell is being evolved out of the human race, and that anosmic individuals are the most evolved members of the species. ;-> "--- The above quote is a little misleading. By definition evolution is change in an organism in order to increase its competitive advantage in the environment. Lacking a sense of smell - although at times envious - does not constitute a competitive advantage for life in modern day society.
Jeff Fowler, USA - 25 Aug 2000
Now that you raise the topic, I guess a sense of humour isn't a competitive advantage in modern society either?
Max Christian, UK - 25 Aug 2000
I am, like so many of you, very pleased to read everyone's comments. I do not have any memory of ever being able to smell anything. I also was not believed until I was about 18. I almost got tears from finally finding people to relate to. I also went through the years of studying facial expressions so I could "fake it." If fact I find that I still do sometimes, even though I am 31. It's easier than getting into a long discussion and it avoids the "can you taste" conversations. I don't know why, but I've always been embarrased by not being able to smell. Yes you can live a completely wonderful and normal life without the sense of smell but I still find myself wishing I could smell at least once every day. Hopefully with all of the advances in medical science some day soon someone will offer us a solution!
Sheri smiller@7dwholesale.com, US - 25 Aug 2000

, - 28 Sep 2000
Great information! I too have congenital anosmia. I'm 36 years old now and don't ever remember "knowing how to smell". I remember as a preschooler having some "scratch and sniff" activity books and trying very hard to differentiate between the strawberry and the banana smells. Then in elementary school I remember a classmate bringing a smelling salt to school, and saying "Here, smell this" - I took a huge whiff at that time, already aware of the fact that I couldn't smell. My concern, though, is trying to find out whether or not this is inherited. My parents don't recall me having a head injury as a child; I had both the German and Red measles together with high fever, but who knows if this did it. But I now have 2 children and some nieces and nephews. I feel obliged to let them know if there is a possibility of inheriting the problem. On the other hand, I don't want to worry them unnecessarily. I have no plans to have any surgeries for my anosmia. It is a hassle sometimes, but I've always managed to work around it (i.e. I never wear the same clothes 2 days in a row, I shower every day, I don't keep leftovers very long, I pay close attention to expiry dates, we have smoke and gas detetectors all over the house, etc.). I am in my second career now, which is teaching. I do get concerned that I can't smell in the classroom since I can't smell if students had alcohol or drugs during the break - I don't tell the students that I can't smell, though, because at this age (jr/sr high), they would probably take advantage of it and try to get away with stuff. I've experienced pretty much everything that you have commented on (i.e. "can you still taste?", disbelief, "here try harder to smell this", food texture and appearance is more important, etc.). But I'm quite happy exp
linda.donaldson@home.com, Canada - 28 Sep 2000
Sorry - my entry was cut off. To complete: ...But I'm quite happy experiencing life the way I do right now. I'm also pleased to see the sense of humor that some have displayed in their entries about anosmia (i.e. a skunk is just another kitty - I laughed so hard that I almost cried reading this one!!). Please email me if you have found any information on the inheritance of anosmia. This is very important to me. Thanks.
linda.donaldson@home.com, Canada - 28 Sep 2000
I am not sure if I am a partial anosmiac or not. I am 30, and have always had a healthy sense of smell until last April. I got sick with a bad cold and after that I couldn't smell anything very clearly unless it was right under my nose. Then in July, my sense of smell suddenly changed. My perfume which I have worn for 10 years suddenly smelled spoiled to me. So did my hairspray. And as a result now many things taste different to me. Is there anyone with this same sort of problem? DO you know what caused it?
beckert221@aol.com, USA - 8 Oct 2000
I was diagnosed with a very minor case of Kallman's Syndrome at 18 years old. I had always known that I couldn't smell anything, but it was just a fact of life. Not a major deal to most people I told it to. Just the same comments heard by others here. I have to say, though, it's nice to see that there are others that can relate to what a person goes through. I don't know any of your background stories, but I think we should all feel pretty fortunate that of the 5 senses to lose, we had to lose smell. I still feel relatively normal without it. I think someone else in here already said it, but, if you've never had it, you never miss it.
, Canada - 10 Oct 2000
Thank you so much for this site! I have never been able to smell and although I have never felt handicapped in anyway by it, it is so nice to hear from others who have experienced the same things I have. I, too, didn't figure it out until middle school, I have endless "...so can you taste?" discussions, and I'm obsessed with making sure I've brushed my teeth and my garbage goes out. It was quite a surprise, and a relief, to see I wasn't just being "quirky". Since my friends and family started believing me (that didn't happen until college)they actually enjoy trying to describe smells. They either use visual cues (such as: "It smells like the yellow of a lemon") or tactile cues (A skunk smell scratches the back of your throat, burns the sides of your tongue and the hairs in your nostrils feel like they are being singed). I've even incorporated this experience into my teaching career. I work with Middle school students and it helps them bring more detail to their writing when they have to explain something with that much detail. Thank God so far I have not been the brunt of any practical jokes or pranks! Although I would love to be able to smell scented candles and food I don't feel like I'm missing anything. I take precautions with food and I have assorted detectors thoughout my house. I do think I smelled something once when I was sitting by a camp fire, but I could not verify that all the synapses connected for one brief moment in my life and produced a sense of smell. All I know was that my sinuses were filled with a tickling sensation and I had a very abstract taste of warmth and burning wood. Who knows. It's just nice to see there are others out there who can relate to my experiences. Thank you.
Lwest1168@aol.com, USA - 5 Nov 2000
Neither I or my brother have ever had a sense of smell. Living on a farm, this had certain advantages,in relation to animal dung and farts. So questions from my mother such as "Who farted?" or "Who came in with dung on their wellies?" followed by the inevitable "Can't you smell it?" soon made us aware that we were missing something - and it didn't seem to be a terrible handicap at the time. In my early teens I became quite embarrassed about it and pretended I could smell by agreeing with everyone that yes that was a lovely smell or wasn't it awful. Anyway that phase soon passed and now I just say i haven't got a sense of smell to which the reply is often Oh yes, I've got a terrible cold as well!
NDun2512@aol.com, Scotland - 9 Nov 2000
Thats very interesting, i'm doing a project on smell and aging and if you have any refrences that you could e-mail to me that would be great!
qtbigbaby@aol.com, usa - 12 Nov 2000
Hi - can anyone tell me if you know a connection between endocrine disorders (such as hypthyroidism)? I saw a vague reference to this somewhere but cannot find further information. I have been losing my sense of smell gradually, and was also recently disgnosed with hypothyroidism and some other issues. I'm a 30 yr old female- help! Thanks :0)
sharonbendov@hotmail.com, USA - 1 Dec 2000
Thank you for this site. Like most anosmics, I only recently became fully aware of my deficiency (I'm a 19-year-old male). I have no memory of ever smelling anything, though sometimes I think I can. As this is always food-focused, however, I think I am probably just anticipating the taste of the food. By the way, if someone wants to know a little more about the difference between those two senses, there's a good site called "Dr Wuensch's (Ph.D) Anosmia Web Pages". He's a psychologist who has had allergic anosmia, which is treatable, so he knows both sides of the experience.
Joel.D.Adeney@wheaton.edu, USA - 5 Jan 2001
It hurts to talk about my Congenital Anosmia, but I just want to say thank you to Max for this site. I am going to the smell doctor tomorrow afternoon. This is 22 years coming and if I find anything helpful for all the others, I will be back.
eam_1@msn.com, USA - 18 Jan 2001
It hurts to talk about my Congenital Anosmia, but I just want to say thank you to Max for this site. I am going to the smell doctor tomorrow afternoon. This is 22 years coming and if I find anything helpful for all the others, I will be back.
eam_1@msn.com, USA - 18 Jan 2001
It hurts to talk about my Congenital Anosmia, but I just want to say thank you to Max for this site. I am going to the smell doctor tomorrow afternoon. This is 22 years coming and if I find anything helpful for all the others, I will be back.
eam_1@msn.com, USA - 18 Jan 2001
It hurts to talk about my Congenital Anosmia, but I just want to say thank you to Max for this site. I am going to the smell doctor tomorrow afternoon. This is 22 years coming and if I find anything helpful for all the others, I will be back.
eam_1@msn.com, USA - 18 Jan 2001
I don't ever remember having a sense of smell. Burning food as a teenager should have given me a clue.Once I baked cupcakes for eight hours. As a nurse, it comes in handy. The usual strong smells people talk about; garlic, fish, rotten eggs etc. have absolutely no meaning for me. The same goes for the taste of those same things. I'm glad I don't have any sense of smell when it comes to treating people different due to how they may smell. What amazes me is to see a non-anosmic person smell their food before eating. Also, I have to be careful when cooking, esp. with gas. This is rambling, but it is so great to talk with other anosmics who understand.
sandy c., USA - 27 Jan 2001
About 11 years ago, I had totally lost my sense of smell. At that time I was living on the island of Malta, where I was born close to the sea. All those years I missed out on the smell of the sea and the memories it would have brought back of my childhood, not to mention other smells, such as the spring wild flowers which grow in the Med with such an invigorating scent.Anyhow, let me get back to now. A few weeks back, I went on the net to maybe just maybe find a site regarding this ailment. Thank God I found a few good sites, and studied the situation in a major way. First of all I would like to tell all you sufferers, not to stick to any one doctors opinion. In my case, I had more than one specialist, ENT tell me that there was no cure for this. After pushing my GP to send me to a different specialist, and of course after reading all those sites, I saw a specialist 3 weeks ago. This time I got lucky, I told the specialist what I had read and the possible cures, and he agreed to put me on Prednisone 5MG, for 13 days the dose being gradually decreased. Also he put me on a spray of Mometasone.Guess what, guys, after the third day, I had opened some junk mail from my box, as soon as I opened the envelope I could smell the print of the paper, it was just like winning a lottery. After that as the days went by, I started to smell almost everything, the produce in a supermarket, food, gasoline etc., it was like I had been reborn. I also want to point out to you, that I had been suffering from minor depression, that is now gone.The specialist told me that I had polyps, and they were the culprit. Now please bear in mind that the drugs I am taking might not be for everyone, so please, before anything see a specialist thus waivering me from my experience. I hope that from this I might shed some light to many
Martin Formosa amanda@ica.net, Canada - 18 Feb 2001
My son Thomas is 9 years old and has to my knowledge never had a sense of smell. It worries me emensly. We are currently going for a cat scan to determine what is the problem. He has also had nasal polyps, which our consultant said was not normal for a child of his age! As you can imagine that scared me. It is somewhat reasuring to know where not alone.
karen Jarman, England - 24 Feb 2001
I'm so happy to have found this site. I have congenital anosmia, and I've never met anyone else who does. It's been rather frustrating growing up...my parents not believing me at first when i told them i couldn't smell, and my friends thinking I was lying. It doesn't bother me anymore now that I know I'm not alone. Even my best friend's still forget all of the time and ask me what smells, so I just give them the stare and they remember. With other people I've found they just don't believe me w/o a huge long explanation so I just pretend. My feeling towards this is not that I wish I could smell, I just wish others would be more informed and understand exactly what this is, rather than making me out to be a liar.
Shauna saby249@hotmail.com, Canada - 7 Mar 2001
This web page really has helped me a whole lot while I was doing my science fair on what kind of smell and taste disorders there are. Thanks alot!!! Ashley
Ashleaves_1@yahoo.com, U.S.A. - 13 Mar 2001
This web page really has helped me a whole lot while I was doing my science fair on what kind of smell and taste disorders there are. Thanks alot!!! Ashley
Ashleaves_1@yahoo.com, U.S.A. - 13 Mar 2001
I would appreciate any replies. My 15 year old niece was diagnosed anosmic 3 years ago. Her MRI was completely normal. She had 2 very scant periods a year ago, but none since. An ob/gyn doctor seemed to think it's because she doesn't have enough body fat. She is very tall and thin. My sister in law is taking her to a neurologist who specializes in smell disorders. He has her on vitamin B1 now, in hopes it might help. My sister is concerned about possible Kallman's. The neurologist told her, that with Kallman's, the MRI ususally shows some difference in the brain, 90% of the time. At what point can Kallman's be ruled out? I see that many of you are congenital anosmics, as is my niece. Are there many congenital anosmics that do NOT have Kallman's? Are there any of you with Kallman's that have undergone homone therapy and had children? I would greatly appreciate your reply. Thank you.
Dee, USA - 20 Mar 2001
I am a congenital anosmic, like many of the others on this site. I remember playing with a Winnie-the-Pooh scratch and sniff book as a child. I would scratch and scratch at the honey pots, but I could never smell them. I thought it was just because I chewed on my fingernails. In school, the other children would pass gas and laugh, but I didn't understand. When everyone would run, I would be sitting there wondering what was going on, then I would get blamed for passing the gas.
smellstinks@yahoo.com, USA - 24 Mar 2001
Like many of you at this sight, I am also a congenital anosmic. Since I'm only 17, I haven't lived with it as long as some of you have, but it has still affected me. I felt very much alone until I found this sight, and it helped to know that there are more people out there like me! This sight is a wonderful encouragement! Sometimes I get depressed about what I am missing out on, but I usually try to stay positive about it. And reading some of these stories have helped me a lot. And besides, I'd rather lose my sense of smell then hearing or sight any day! Maybe one day a cure will be found...I'll always keep hoping that! Thanks Max for the great sight- all of us anosmics appreciate it! if anyone out there would like to talk about anosmia or give out a few encouraging words, my e-mail is DHSdimps04@hotmail.com. Thanks everyone for the positive thoughts!
Shannon, USA - 30 Mar 2001
I cannot believe I actually found a site on loss of the sense of smell. My loss of smell happened about 2 years ago when I visited my son in California and came down with the worst virus/bug I've ever experienced. This bug attacked my ears, sinuses, throat, bronchial tubes, and pretty much my entire body. I was ill for over 3 weeks and it took me about 6 months to regain my strength. The doctors said it was just a bug and gave me pain meds for my ears and sinuses and antibiotics. I blew my nose so much I just knew any minute my brains were going to come out through my nose (Ha!). I really did not realize that I could not smell for about 6 months, until a frying pan on my stove caught fire and I did not smell it until the smoke alarm went off. Luckily, I was able to put it out but it could have been so much worse. I cannot smell gas or fire. I was caring for my grandson one day and inadvertently did not turn off the gas stove all the way. My daughter-in-law came into the house and smelled it immediately. It really scared her. I've asked many many doctors and they all say it was because of my illness and would come back. Well, not so. I poured some milk on my grandson's cereal last week and when he tasted it he made the worst face. It was sour. I felt terrible. I can't really taste many things anymore and tend to put hot sauce on everything. I never realized how awful it would be not to smell things. I miss the smell of scented candles, roses, the ocean, my favorite perfume. I don't miss the bad smells (I will not elaborate). I am so sorry for any of you that have never had a sense of smell. There are so many things you've missed and I can only imagine how people might have made fun of you. Everyone at my job knows I can't smell anything and they help me out when I ask. My grandson has become an expert in telling Grandma a
makiul, United States - 17 Apr 2001
I have read no report from an anosmic as a result of radiation therapy as treatment fo Esthesio neuroblastoma. Tumor started about age 84 and was agresssefully treated gy Xray over a 6week period. The hardest part is worry about body odor. In spite of the smell loss I have good taste.
Scott F Pedley M D SHAHDB8658, US - 5 May 2001
I have congenital Anosmia, and although I very rarely think about it, I was forced to recently.I am a father of two beautiful twin girls, who are two years of age.A few weeks ago, I had just put my children to bed, and My girlfriend was at work. I was sat downstairs reading, and I failed to notice a gas leak, As the Stove hadn't been turned off properly. I sat there for three hours, and if a friend hadn't come over, I dread to think what could have happened.Luckily, I had given up smoking a few weeks earlier.Let this be a warning to people out there who suffer from Anosmia, you do have to be aware.
Lee Smith, United Kingdom - 11 May 2001
Wow! It is really cool to find out that a lot of other people arn't able to smell. I was born with out a sense of smell (which I just found out is called Congenital Anosmia) and so was my mom. Because my mom had coundn't smell either my family believed me, but I still lied to my friends when I was young and said I could smell stuff. However, in the 3rd grade we were learning how to describe things and the teacher gave us an avacado and told us to descibe it with all 5 senses, I told her I couldn't. She didn't believe me, but played along anyway. Later in 6th grade I began to be more truthful about it and when a science teacher told the class that smell and taste were the same thing I raised my hand and told him he was wrong. Boy was that a good feeling! Also everyone from that class remembered and brought it up in the wierdest places in conversations. I liked that I was different from everyone eles. Now I'm a freshman in highschool and recently asked my bio teacher if he knew anything, he checked his resourses buyt didn't find anything... I think it is genetic because my mom has it too, but I really don't know. I think it would be cool to be able to smell but I don't really feel like I am missing that much. I just have to say again that it is sooo cool to find other people with the same problem!
Barbara Babs686@aol.com, USA - 11 May 2001
This is great. everything i am reading has happend to me at one time or another. the main difference is i can't taste very well either. everything taste good to me but i cant tell the difference between foods when different spices are added. i cant smell because of kallmans syndrome
thomcat5@yahoo.com, usa - 22 May 2001
well, i guess bill b. was a bit more optimistic than i as a child. i did not figure i would "smell when i was older", instead i figured i was "smelling" exactly what i was supposed to and thought "what's the big deal?"
kea, usa - 29 May 2001
I HAVE NEVER HAD A SENSE OF SMELL, SO I AM ONE OF THE CONGENTIALS, THIS IS THE VERY FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE SEEN A WEB SITE AND OTHERS WITH THE SAME SITUATION. I WOULD LOVE FEEDBACK.
LDYSOONER@AOL.COM, USA - 14 Jun 2001
My son was born in 1973 after a normal pregnancy and delivery. He started telling me that he couldn't smell when he was about 6 or 7 years old, but I brushed him off. I had never heard of such a thing and didn't believe a small child could know what he was talking about. He kept pressing me and soon convinced me. In retrospect, I could cite several instances that indicated the truth of what he was saying. Some of his questions, too, indicated that he didn't have a clue as to what the sense of smell was all about. (When everyone in the car moaned at the same time, he asked why. I told him that we had smelled a skunk. He said, "Maybe someone passed gas.") When he was 13, he had an operation that was supposed to remove a layer from the olfactory bulb, which we were assured would help him. Of course, it didn't. The doctor told us that he could smell. His reason for believing that? My son could distinguish chocolate. That's an indication of the level of ignorance about anosmia. Ironically, my husband had a viral infection a few years ago and lost most of his sense of smell as a result. A few years ago, Paul Harvey had an article about anosmia, which was the first time I knew that the condition had a name. He cited a doctor in Chicago who was a leading authority at the time. We contacted that doctor and leaned that they has the least success with treatments for Congenital Anosmia. I would like to contact a good doctor to see if my husband's condition can be treated. Does anyone know of a good treatment center on the east coast?Thank you,Lindaruthers@msn.com
ruthers@msn.com, United States - 21 Jun 2001
I have never been able to smell, and only recently I decided to do some searching on the internet. I never knew what it was called but came to find out I had congenital anosmia. I think it is genetics and can be passed down from generation to generation. My dad, and uncle both do not have a sense of smell so this may be something. and i love that quote.. a skunk is just another kitty.. makes me think of how many encounters i had with a skunk *lol*.. and i have quite a taste as well.. but one thing is when people say there is a very very strong smell around.. it seems to me that i can almost taste the smell, like the smell is on my tongue. Has anyone ever had this kind of experience? and I am glad to know that this isnt just some freak family i live in cuz we cant smell lol because i met this one girl in college who couldn't smell either i was like whoa!
Samuel sflamig@hotmail.com, USA - 8 Jul 2001
What a marvellous site! I have congenital anosmia and it has been suggested that its due to Kallmans syndrome but I'm not sure what this means! I've also got eczema, and I wonder if there's a link.I don't mind having no sense of smell, and I've got a really developed sense of taste, (apart from some things taste GRIM when you can't smell them, eg GINGER) and the only thing that annoys me is when my mates AND MY FAMILY forget that I can't smell!! Sound familiar?!
lucycaswell@yahoo.co.uk, uk - 12 Jul 2001
There is Hope - Look for a new cookbook just for anosmiacs called FOR TASTE BUDS ONLY by Lisa Anderson. It is in the works and has simple, nourishing recipes and tricks for keeping healthy and enjoying meals. I began working on FOR TASTE BUDS ONLY after loosing my sense of smell (and taste)and eating became an unpleasant chore for survival. There are over 17 million people who suffer from this - and many more who haven't realized that their eating disorder is due to anosmia. Anosmia is a hidden and often undiagnosed disability. It is my hope that my book will bring flavor and the enjoyment of eating back into your life as well as build public awareness. I would love to hear from you at asklis@earthlink.net .
asklis@earthlink.net, usa - 26 Jul 2001
I'm concerned about "Phantom" smells that I seem to have lately. I don't think they are real smells, but it's a strange sensation that I smell something that isn't there. I can't describe the smell, but I'm trying to find out if it's a symptom of some disease or medical problem. I've had some vertigo lately and my head feels full and heavy, and this all seemed to happen when I started having this phantom smell. Any thoughts on this?
boninor@mta.net, USA - 6 Sep 2001
Yes I am 12 years old and I have not been able to smell. I never knew what was wrong but thanks to my mom and this website I now know. I am doing a science fair project but I could not think of one. My mom said how about somting on your noes and I thought that would be cool, so we went on the net to find a site and found yours. It is very nice to know that I am not the only one, I can taste and not by the texture of the food. I also got told that it could be cured with surgery but I have never known and guess I never will. It isn't a big deal our at least to me. It sure does affect my life for example at girl scouts they were smelling spices and I had to sit out and watch. But I can't smell roting milk or bad food, and no I can not smell smoke but, if it is alot it burns my throat plus we have a fire alarm so I really don not worry. Most pepole look at it as a disability but I look at as being differnet which I am so its just me and thats who I am. I have lots of freinds and not one has shut me out because of my problem, I was raised thinking the name of it was "not being able to smell" I did not know there was a name of it it is really cool that I am not the only one. It makes me soooooo happy to read these, and see how different pepole deal with it. To me I am me, and I always will be this way I have thought of things to say for example, in the store this girl started to ask me to smell shampoo so I said mmmmmmmmmmmmm smells like grapes (of corse I looked of the label and it was pretty fun to confuse pepole. I thought it would be nice to put what a child feels like in a moment like this I am printing this all out right now all 38 pages. I think in about 10 or 20 years if ya'll still have this website I will right again just to put the differences I feel physically and mentally. There are thousands and thousands of ways to look at it, and i
ladunk@ev1.net, United States - 6 Sep 2001
To add to the sense of smell, and maybe clear it up a bit... The aroma "dissolves" in the mucous at the roof of ? (I think it's the sinus cavity or the mouth, but I can't quite remember). It triggers an action potential (nerve impulse) in the olfactory nerves, which travel through holes in a part of the skull called the cribiform plate. The nerves then synapse (eventually) onto the olfactory bulbs, and nerves from there synapse onto the thalamus (in the brain) before the impulse travels to the primary olfactory cortex. In some individuals, resulting from a fall perhaps, the cribiform plate is shifted and the nerves are broken off. The nerves (unlike most nerves) can grow back, but the holes in the cribiform plate are in a different location due to the shift, and thus the regrown nerves can't reach the olfactory bulbs and the brain. This can lead to anosmia as well.
Anon., USA - 26 Sep 2001
I have no memory of smelling. My mother seems to recall my mentioning smelling when I was young, but I have no memory of it. I always had sinus problems as a child; maybe my smell nerve or the receptors was damaged then. I do taste and love any kind of tomato sauce,spicy foods, and vegetables. They all have a different taste to me; maybe my brain compensated for the lack of smell. I wonder sometimes what I might be missing, but I survive just fine. I have feeling in my nostils, just no smell. I've always wondered why, but now I have some sort of an idea why.
tqcjr@hotmail.com, usa - 27 Sep 2001
I am lucky in a way - I do have a memory of smell. I lost mine in June of this yr (2001).I was in an auto accident (ejected going 70 mph). I have also suffered from Traumatic Brain Injury. The ENT's went over my catscan and said I would never smell again due to nerves not growing back. On the same day I was given this info the Oral Surgeon's said I might smell again.(although they were not looking at my catscan - Who to belive!) I am lucky to have memory but it also makes it worse in ways knowing exzctly what I lost. Please do not take offense to that statement. I am not minimalizing Congenital defects at all. I feel very compassionate to each and everyone of you. If there is any help ot there I will travel to regain my sense of smell. I did feel this was something I couldn't live with but reading these comments I now belive I can. Thank You everyone. Kathy
KY, USA, katinky29@aol.com - 14 Oct 2001
I am a 54 yr. old woman. I had an excellent sense of smell and taste until about 18 months ago. I had bronchitis and possible pneumonia. I was given Zithromax because I am allergic to penicillan. I lost my sense of smell and taste, called the Doctor at the ER and he told me it was a very rare side effect of Zithromax, and it should come back slowly. 2 months later I went to an ENT, who did all kinds of cat scans, etc., and said that in all probability, I lost those senses due to the Zithromax, but could not say for a certainty. My question is, has anyone else out there had the same thing happen to them. Loss of smell & taste after taking Zithromax. Please let me know. My e-mail address is aboulger@aol.com.
aboulger@aol.com, USA - 9 Nov 2001
I am so glad that I am not alone.. I lost my sense of smell about 10 yrs. ago, and now I am loosing my sense of taste.. I have been to sinus doctors so many times.. I have an appointment with an ENT in 1 mth. so I will see what happens then.. My family has always had problems with sinus infections and allergies but I am the only one that has lost the sense of smell and taste.. Diane
nanas2angelz@aol.com, USA - 15 Nov 2001
Everything written here could have been written by me. I never knew that others could relate to my anosmia so similarly. It's an interesting subject because it's all I've ever known and it's so familiar to me. I have never met anyone with similar circumstances, but as I read these passages and reseach it more, it's interesting to see that my situation isn't only something I deal with.
KarenH162@excite.com, US - 20 Nov 2001
I am 27 weeks pregnant and have lost my sense of smell and taste for the past 8 days due to a bad cold. This has happened to me before, but never for this long (usually only one day.) My mom has not been able to smell for as long as I can remember and she just informed me that she lost her sense of smell during a bad cold she had when pregnant. Can I expect this to be permanent? Are there any measures I can take at the doctor's office to determine what and if there is anything seriously wrong or if this is a temporary situation? I enjoyed the website. I never really knew how common this was.
wid_comer@yahoo.com, USA - 30 Nov 2001
I am amazed at how old most people were whan diagnosed with Kallmans or Kallmanns Syndrome. My son is now 5 years old but was diagnosed at 8 months by doctors referring to journals for assistance. He is the second child of 4 3boys then a girl. If we had have had only one child we would of never known we were carriers of the syndrome. Does anyone Know wether this cold case miss carriages as i have had 4? The specialists want the whole family to nder go genetic testing shortly to see if the children are carriers also. I have never known or heard of anyone else with it and neither have any of the doctors we see. I have to carry a copy of the journal with me to show them when they havent seen him before. My friend sggested the net when i said i would like to contact others with it. I found this sight and would like to know if people could help me with other sites or support grops in Australia. The doctors ask me what can Kerk smell or taste but how am i supposed to know? He has a lot of other problems related to the syndrome which is how they worked out what he had. He has only 4 toes on each foot with 5 bones in one is missing finger nails his penis was that small they said we would have to make him a girl. I went crazy said no boy of mine was going to be a girl so they gave him hormone treatment to see if it would work the tetestrome did thank goodness. Any way if anyone can help me or i can be a help to anyone else please e-mail me at lalalalaoo7@bigpond.com thats the letter o not the number.
lalalalaoo7@bigpond.com, Australia - 1 Dec 2001
Not many people agree with this subject, but a skunk's musk smells so good! Oh well, thats all I wanted to say!! =P
fakeaddress@aol.com, USA - 18 Dec 2001
Colors is spelled colors, NOT colours. If you spell it that way, it sounds to me like you're stupid. Thanks for your help in geting a good site about anosmia.
probert72@aol.com, USA - 13 Jan 2002
probert72: This document uses the correct spelling of colour, as it is written in English English rather than the American Engish you may be more familiar with. I'm glad the site was useful.
Max Christian, England - 14 Jan 2002
Just a note for proberts about the "colour" issue. If you weren't so stupid you would realize that is how we spell it up here in the Great White North (Canada, seeing as you are probably too stupid to realize that). Just a thought.
Sara, Canada - 16 Jan 2002
I am 22 and have never been able to smell. It's great to find others out there like me. I'm not alone! I think people who can smell take it for granted. I've never known what a flower smells like. People also think my anosmia is temporary and can easily be cured. An aunt did acupuncture thinking that would work. Right! A doctor gave me a saline solution! It would be great to find out why I can't smell but I guess I've just gotten so used to it now. Unlike most people here, I can taste everything. I found out in a science experiment that I am a supertaster (more taste buds than normal) which is the only explanation I have right now. Thanks to the person who created this site!
Sara, Canada - 16 Jan 2002
As I read the other stories of people who are anosmic I am really surprised. I am a 30 yr. old female who has never had a sense of smell. I have learned to make the best of it by becoming a nurse at an extended care facility. I always considered myself lucky to have this problem. But, the older I get, the more I wish I could smell. I have learned from magazine articles (and now the internet) that many aspects of life are altered by smells. I think that it's easier to diet, for one thing. I eat food to survive. there's not much enjoyment in it. My family is also affected by this because I don't like to cook as most people enjoy the cooking experiance. Anyway, this is the first time I've done anything like this and I am just curious if there's any way to correct or help this condition.
carriebishop113@hotmail.com, USA - 23 Jan 2002
I find this website really funny, as I have congenital anosmia and dealt with it through humor. I have not met anyone else with this "disease." I remember thinking that my little sister was psychic because she always knew what was for breakfast on Sat. mornings before we'd reached the bottom of the stairs. I have always been reminded, for better or worse, that memory and smell are very closely linked. I think that my memory is much more visual than anything else. I also believe that I taste food better than most people- its an extremely enjoyable experience for me. The only difficulty has been that my parents have never really believed I have no sense of smell- I'm 20 and to this day they ask me to smell the cake in the oven, the new perfume, etc. I've never been to a doctor about it because, truthfully, I don't really care to have a sense of smell. I bet it would be overwhelming. And like everyone else, I faked it until I was about 8. I'm interested in peoples' comments that anosmia is hereditary. My father has severe allergies, as do I, and was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea, a condition which means he stops breathing and chokes up to 300 times each night. Do many of you have problems with allergies or families with a history of nose problems?
Annie, USA - 27 Jan 2002
WOW! Finally I find I am not alone. I too have eaten bad food, injured myself with cleaning products, and lived with the little doubt that maybe my mother was trying to kill me when she lit the fireplace (flu closed) and took a veeeerrrry long bath. My biggest problem is the rolled eyes, the "pshaws", the way people don't want to believe me when I tell them. At the tender age of 6 my grandmother sent me to the basement of her church where a strange woman blindfolded me and fed me stale fruitcake and other church buffet goodies demanding that I identify what horrors she adminstered. As an adult, that memory reminds me that my grandmother wasn't listening, I never said I couldn't taste. I'm tired of people TELLING me I can't taste, I usually feign shock and grief at my sudden loss of another sense. It's nice to see others have the same problems, misery/company .Can anyone tell me why I always apologize when I can't smell something that's shoved under my otherwise beautiful english nose? Now I know I'm not just crazy. I might just see if I can't get medical help. It would be amazing to be able to buy perfume with confidence and not to throw out milk on the expiration date, smell my mate. If there are any smellers out there plese be our Eric Shultz to Laura Dern in the movie Mask, any descriptions would be cherished by we less fortunate.
redflyeye@yahoo.com, USA - 12 Feb 2002
I relate to all of you. Iam 29 years old and have never been able to smell. I also thought I was the only one. I started having difficulty with my vision 12 years ago. I avoided going to the doctor for 8 years, but finally had to. They discovered a "bulls-eye" in the Retina of both eyes. Although they call this a form of macular degeneration, they can not give it an exact name. I just don't fit into a certain category. I asked if this could be related to my anosima and the answer was no. But, Im still wondering. In fact Im going to have a mri soon because of some other symptoms so maybe Ill have an answer soon. An information would be appreciated.
jill@wvnet.edu, USA - 15 Mar 2002
I know this is really a shot in the dark, but maybe it can help some one. I believe that it is possible that supplements of zinc, 90 mg per day and 10 mg of Manganese daily, may help. After 2 months one could reduce the Zinc to 30 Mg per day, keep the 10 MG of Manganese and add one tablet of the mineral Copper daily. This has greatly increased my sense of smell, and I was taking this formula only for a ringing in one ear which is called Tinnitus. Sometimes a genetic need for extra Zinc and Manganese can affect all those connected areas, ears, nose, and Eustachian tubes. The copper is needed to supplement the zinc if zinc is taken over a period of time longer than 8 weeks. I Would be happy to hear if this works for anyone.
mguagl@njpanda.org, USA - 5 Apr 2002
Is anyone doing work which attempts to discover ways to give people back their sense of smell? I've lost it off and on for the past several years, but this is the longest I've not been able to smell (13 months).
freetomme@hotmail.com, usa - 7 Apr 2002

cheyenne@xalai9s.com, - 19 Apr 2002
I don't think google is very sutiblr for kids
mccaur09@penrhos.edu.au.com, W ales - 19 Apr 2002
I can smell, so I don't know if this will help or not, but it's an old trick showing that the sense of smell also affects the sense of taste. For someone who knows they cannot smell, it's possible that this can help them determine whether or not they can taste. Anyway, the experiment goes something like this. One person slices an apple and a potato into two identical slices (no skin on either, just the flesh). The other person closes his eyes, and in the traditional form of the experiment, also plugs his nose, although that shouldn't be necessary for anosmics. Then the first person feeds the second person one of the slices, and the second one tries to determine which slice it is. Believe it or not, it's very, very difficult, almost impossible. And yet, at least for those of us with a sense of smell and taste, we can easily tell which is which with just our eyes closed. On the other hand, perhaps this won't do much good anyway, as even someone with a good sense of taste finds it difficult to tell the two apart without a sense of smell. Oh well. It was a thought.
Brian Kell, abodeman@yahoo.com, USA - 22 Apr 2002
Thank goodness someone sent this website to me! When I discovered, around age 16, that I never had a sense of smell or taste, I felt I was some kind of freak. I would and still do eat everything, prefering foods that have a very strong or spicy "taste". This pleased my parents. Now anosmia is embarrassing because I cannot dectect oders that help in keeping things clean or boil overs when cooking. I can bake but have never been a "good" cook. Safety has become a concern because once I slept through a fire next door, until the bull horns awakened me. I can't smell a gas leak either. One friend suggested taking zinc. It worked! But it was hard on my stomach and I didn't like all the "bad" smells that I guess are normal for everyone else.
Robin, USA - 23 Apr 2002
I am 24 years old and just recently told my mom and my husband ( and only these two people) I can't smell and don't ever remember being able to. My husband is shocked yet supportive and promised we could go to a spacialist one day. And my mom is driving me crazy. She knows it was realy hard for me to tell her , and yet she makes jokes like "Hear smell this, why don't you smell this, do you like the smell of this, can you smell that?" Not meaning to be mean,yet not fully understanding,but It hurt my feelings so much. Hence the reason I never told her sooner, and the reason I never told my dad, I was afffaraid noone would believe me. And why should they after 24 years? I guess I have just dealt with it for as long as I can remember and just this past year it really started making me feel what I was missing out on. I'm not sure about my tastebuds, there is alot of things I can't tell the difference between. Any info on what kind of doctor to see? Thanks for listening, would love to hear from anyone. curlymoes@hotmail.com
curlymoes@hotmail.com, US - 25 Apr 2002
I am currently 21 and I didn't realize I had anosmia till almost two years ago. For years when people would say things smelt bad I always assumed they were exaggerating especially when ever someone broke wind. One of my roomates used to pass gas very often and one day I said to my roomates "Hey guys, I don't smell anything". They were shocked and promptly had me smell dirty sneakers, mouthwash and nail polish remover all to no avail. I don't remember ever smelling anything so I guess it's congenital. When decribing anosmia to people I often say "baking bread". I tell them that the smell they experience I don't understand.
Alex Elliott, USA - 30 Apr 2002
I had surgery about 10 years ago for some growths that had developed on my vocal chords. My sense of smell up to that point was certainly what I would call normal. After the surgery, I recall the intense taste of the anesthesia that was used to put me out for the surgery... and within days, I was aware that my sense of smell was almost totally gone. From time to time, I have a faint sense of smell.. and only for certain things. I have read others sites where there has been mention of steroid theraphy.. primarily prednisone. The benefit of any of this has been very very marginal. I wish that this could be reversed.
canoe_69@yahoo.com, USA - 16 May 2002
I had surgery about 10 years ago for some growths that had developed on my vocal chords. My sense of smell up to that point was certainly what I would call normal. After the surgery, I recall the intense taste of the anesthesia that was used to put me out for the surgery... and within days, I was aware that my sense of smell was almost totally gone. From time to time, I have a faint sense of smell.. and only for certain things. I have read others sites where there has been mention of steroid theraphy.. primarily prednisone. The benefit of any of this has been very very marginal. I wish that this could be reversed.
canoe_69@yahoo.com, USA - 16 May 2002
I am a congenital anosmic and up until today I have never been worried about not ever having been able to smell, but after looking at all these websites, its just made me feel sad. your database offended me. skunks smell nice? yeah right, I'm not stupid. You think you can take the **** out of us, but you wouldnt to a disabled or blind person. thanks so much.
mclochy_ness@hotmail.com, England - 21 May 2002
In response to that last comment, the "skunk is just another kitty" joke was made by an congenital asnosmic who may have no sense of smell, but clearly has a sense of humour. If you are so unworried about anosmia, then why are you getting so annoyed? Some people think their lack of smell is important, and some people don't. Get over it.
Karl, UK - 23 May 2002
I am married to a man who seems to be unable to bond emotionally to me. He has always had the same lack-of-attachment problems with his mother. It could just be a psychological problem, but I was wondering if there is some cause & effect created by the anosmia. I know how smells can affect my life, moods, etc. Any comments/input from anyone?
ekingshill@houston.rr.com, USA - 13 Jun 2002
so what if you can't smell, i'm a kallmanns boy and i can't smell but it has never bothered me. not smelling isn't traumatic, get over it. cancer is traumatic, aids is traumatic, not smelling isn't.
braindeadgook@hotmail, USA - 21 Jul 2002
I don't know if mine is congenital or not. I never remember smelling. I hit my forehead on the dashboard of the car when my daddy put on the brakes suddenly when I was four. I had my adenoids out when I was almost four and when I was five, they took out my tonsils and removed my adenoids again (they'd grown back) and had tubes in my ears. The surgeon told my parents he cut too far. My parents never noticed me saying I smelled stuff, but I evidently acted like I smelled stuff they told me to smell. But at before age 5, do kids totally understand what smell is if they don't have it? I don't know why, but I can't smell. I can get a whiff of amonia, but otherwise cleaning the cats' litterboxes is just a matter of it looking icky. Riding in the car with my family through a papermill town, they were rolling up the windows and holding their noses, and I'm all what's wrong because I as always smelled nothing. A neighbor's descented skunk stunk the neighborhood, but I smelled nothing as usual. Mostly I don't mind not smelling, but at times, I feel I'm missing something, and am kinda wishful that I could experience smells. However, I comfort myself with the thoughts of all the icky smells I miss. There are dangers if you live alone, I guess, I used to joke that I needed a smelling-nose dog. Never met anyone else who never remembered smelling, so it's nice to not feel so alone.
tabbanie@yahoo.com, USA - 28 Jul 2002
I don't know if mine is congenital or not. I never remember smelling. I hit my forehead on the dashboard of the car when my daddy put on the brakes suddenly when I was four. I had my adenoids out when I was almost four and when I was five, they took out my tonsils and removed my adenoids again (they'd grown back) and had tubes in my ears. The surgeon told my parents he cut too far. My parents never noticed me saying I smelled stuff, but I evidently acted like I smelled stuff they told me to smell. But at before age 5, do kids totally understand what smell is if they don't have it? I don't know why, but I can't smell. I can get a whiff of amonia, but otherwise cleaning the cats' litterboxes is just a matter of it looking icky. Riding in the car with my family through a papermill town, they were rolling up the windows and holding their noses, and I'm all what's wrong because I as always smelled nothing. A neighbor's descented skunk stunk the neighborhood, but I smelled nothing as usual. Mostly I don't mind not smelling, but at times, I feel I'm missing something, and am kinda wishful that I could experience smells. However, I comfort myself with the thoughts of all the icky smells I miss. There are dangers if you live alone, I guess, I used to joke that I needed a smelling-nose dog. Never met anyone else who never remembered smelling, so it's nice to not feel so alone.
tabbanie@yahoo.com, USA - 28 Jul 2002
I discovered I was anosmic at 17, but didn't realize until almost 10 years later that it was a congenital thing. I have Kallman's Syndrome and was reviewing my medical records when I realized that I've never really been able to smell (skunks on the road, bad milk, noxious odors, etc). Here's a question though...can I suffer from partial Congenital Anosmia? Because I swear I can smell strong cinnamon or vanilla candles and one or two very spicy perfumes. I'm asking out of pure curiousity since I really don't miss what I never really had, know what I mean?
Lesli, thelassthatlost@yahoo.com, USA - 31 Jul 2002
I think I may have recently started to show signs of anosmia. It's highly distressing because I know what im missing now. Is there any treatment available worth checking out?
wageslayer@hotmail.com, - 6 Aug 2002
wow--- how cool ! Never could smell either--have been diagnosed with Kallmans syndrome at age 18 after genetic testing. The anosmia folks has to due with the olfactory lobe and the placement of it during fetal development. It either occurs to soon or to late creating a myriad (sp?) of symptoms and problems. I fake it sometimes and adimit to the no smelling at other times. Often, I think it is a blessing--If you know what I mean jelly beans !! the discovery of my "difference" was made in stages---I can smell very strong, powerful things, but cannot distinguish what these smells are: for example, stewing tomatoes or tomato sauce, fresh roses ( have to stick my nose right into the flower-very nice smell in general) very obnoxious human gasses---nasty, nasty--these have to be so extreme that everyone else has fled the room in horror Ha ha ha ha. I can often get horrible wiffs of chemical smells though they often make me sick before I recognize the odor. In closing for now, I'm exctited to read more comments here about this--- I never even new the name for it---"anosmia"---I read the second comment about food textures and agree and concur that food texture is a vital part of what i will eat and won't eat--won't bore you further now------Oh by the way----WE ARE SMARTER!!!!
reech@cox.net, usa - 6 Aug 2002
I have had anosmia, form what I can tell, since birth. I remember as a child pretending I could smell things other people were smelling. I also remember hiding in the back of the classroom at school one day the teacher blindfolded the students and asked them to smell an apple, an orange and a pear to tell the difference. I hid because I didn't want my "secret" to be revealed. I already had to deal with a weight problem, I didn't want to deal with another way I would be "different". At the age of 16 I had surgery to correct a deviated septum and removal of palops (sp?). Although this restored the ability to breathe through my nose, it did not restore my sense of smell. Thus I was diagnosed with congenital anosmia. As I've gotten older, I've not only learned to live with my condition but to laugh about it as well. I no longer hide the fact that I can't smell anything from people and I feel that I do taste food, just in my own way! My husband has asked my if I'd be willing to try to get treatments if available to get a sense of smell, but I don't know. I'm afraid that suddenly having a sense of smell would be overwhelming, plus I'd rather never have it than have it for a while and then lose it as I've read other people have. You can't miss something you've never had! Plus, the fact that it is congenital makes it nearly impossible to treat. Anyway, it's great to know there are so many others out there like me.
jbirmingham2002@yahoo.com, USA - 16 Aug 2002
Wow! At the grand old age of 57 I've just discovered that there IS a connection between my congenital anosmia and failure of menarche. Kallman's syndrome! Now my question is -- is there a cure for the anosmia caused by Kallman's syndrome? Does anybody know?
slro@lr1.mailshell.com, USA - 18 Aug 2002
I have always figured I was the only one on Earth who suffered this, and no one ever believes me. I have never been able to smell, anosmia apparently being a side effect of a severe premature birth. It is something of a social problem..for EG, most women like to be complimented on their perfume..but that's not possible if I don't even know it's there! I can sense fumes, if they're thick enough, and my sense of taste doesn't seem to suffer (though how would I know?) I can tell brands of beer apart, and types of chocolate.. There is "flavour" at the back of my throat too, so there may be some sensation. Just not through the nose. Fact is, I'm not sure I could handle being "Cured".. My attitude towards it has always been "better this than blind", since that could easily have happened..
tiepilot912@yahoo.ca, Canada - 26 Aug 2002
Im 15 and i have no sence of smell all the woman in my moms side don't or didn't have a sense of smell. i never realy thought it was weird that i couldn't smelli never realy relised i couldnt smel till my brother said the next door neighbor werwe have chinesse food i asked how he knew. he said he could smell it. i didnt think much of it. then my mom was talking about how she couldnt smell and neither could her sisters and mother i said hey i cant smell. and its weird because all my friends know i cant smell but they always say smell this so know i just say it smell good or bad
jessica T sk8tergrl888@yahoo.com, usa - 10 Sep 2002
I've never been able to smell that I can remember. In fact, my earliest memory of NOT being able to smell is from when I was 2 or 3 at a children's museum. They had an old-fashioned card catalogue cabinet with different things to taste, smell, feel, etc. and I couldn't tell at all. But as I can tell my sense of taste is fairly good, although I know I'm missing out some with wines and such. Now at 27 I entered into a testing program which confirmed that it is a congenital loss. They did an MRI of my brain and discovered why - I have no olfactory bulbs! No hope for a cure there. Obviously my loss isn't due to Kallman's (besides, I have a naturally-conceived child) but I wonder if it was a one-time developmental fluke, or if it is something I could have passed on to my daughter. At 1 year old, she's still to young to ask. It's good to know there's a site like this out there in the world.
Amy, USA - 17 Sep 2002
Wow, very interesting to see that most of congenital anosmiacs like me have often lived the same experiences! I realy enjoyed reading all the comments. An interesting question for me is about relationships, in particular in a couple. I think that smell plays an important (mostly uncounscious) role in relationships. After having read "the parfum" of P.Suesskind, I wonder if most of the feelings between people are smell-based...
Michel, Switzerland/USA - 26 Sep 2002
first of all, let me apologize for the blank post (hit the enter key when I was supposed to be hitting the shift-key). And well, I also have this Congenital Anosmia ( thank God for the copy/paste function ) as long as I can remember. And I've always pretended I have been able to smell when asked about with the exception of my family. Personally I don't feel the need to tell them about what I can and can't do but I suppose there's nothing wrong with telling in general. However, when in highschool and in a full class, you're not gonna tell your teacher when he's asking you a question related to some sort of smell that you are unable to smell anything, that saves both me and the rest of the class some trouble. Besides, I think anosmia is just one of the many medical names that are in some way associated to me when I'm looking back at my 20 years of life so far. I've had so many problems and surgical operations that they can barely be counted using both my hands. However, as far as I know, I've been capable of doing everything like a "normal" human apart from the smelling since my birth. Im still having hopes that this is just caused because I have some sort of weird medical disorder where I had a cold every single day ( no exceptions ) and where I had a running nose all the time ( having 4 packets of tissue when coming back home with just 1 was routine back in the highschool days ) and my nose is just "blocked" of this smelling ability because of it. ( a side note, this disorder seems to be fading away now I'm a bit older so we'll see ) On the other hand, I suppose I'm not going to become frustrated if this is not the case, as I really can't remember the last time I smelled something and I don't think I can!
Seiruu/seiruu@hotmail.com, NL - 29 Sep 2002
Imagine I'm having a night of insomnia and turn on the computer unsurprised that there is not a soul to chat with at this hour...then I start thinking of interesting topics to read up on and...I think: Is there any information out there on "no sense of smell"? And voila'! Please pass along any extra info you have...I am 31 years old and don't think I have ever smelled flowers or popcorn...or poo! Thank goodness I am not alone. Smiles...Lisa
sunnylove3@juno.com, USA - 29 Sep 2002
I have never been able to smell, but I can taste. I recently found out that this runs on my dad's side of the family. I can't say i'm sorry when people complain of bad smells! People feel sorry for me, but i feel fine. It makes me feel unique
VP, USA - 25 Oct 2002
Having no sense of smell is very difficult for others to comprehend, especially in the field of nursing that I work in. {Severe and Profound Intellectual disability}. Not being able to smell odours hampers the assesment process and creates many workplace problems.
stuartcritn@yahoo.com.au, australia - 2 Nov 2002
I haven't been able to smell anything my entire life,to my recall. It has caused me some problems in the past and much concern for the future. I have a feeling that my hearing is more acute than normal. As a child someone would say" can't you smell that". I would just knod and shrug it off. A funny thing happened when I was going steady with my ex-wife. She was upset that I didn't comment on her choice of perfume. I told her that I couldn't smell it. She didn't believe me and it took a mutual friend to convince her. I have had some close calls at work as a result of it. Many electrical devices give a warning before they burst into flame from overheating. To my friends my condition is a source of laughter and to my family a source of concern. I am quite concerned of the possibility of injury due to not being able to smell a pending problem.
samniehaus, United States - 5 Nov 2002
I have no sense of smell. I thought I was a real novelty, but apparently I am not the only one. DAMN! lol. It took me a long time to realize I had no sense of smell because I was born without one, and it is essentially useless so there are no "smell tests" at the nurse's office each year in school. Another difficulty in realizing that I had no sense of smell is that sometimes I can taste particles in the air, like food. My sense of taste is somewhat dull, but it still happens.
Ann, US - 30 Nov 2002
This is in addition to my other comment- my mother never thought I was seeking attention so she for about three year took me to more specialists than I ever wanted to know existed. One ENT even removed my adnoids. Now I am one organ less and still no sense of smell. I would rather not be cured: most people talk about smells in a negative way anyway, and I think it's intesting in conversation. No one ever forgets that girl who strangely had no sense of smell. If only all the senses were so trivial, Helen Keller wouldn't have had such a hard life.
Ann, - 30 Nov 2002
Having no sense of smell is very difficult for others to comprehend, especially in the field of nursing that I work in. {Severe and Profound Intellectual disability}. Not being able to smell odours hampers the assesment process and creates many workplace problems.
stuartcritn@yahoo.com.au, australia - 1 Dec 2002
congratulations on an exellent site i am completely anosmic and was diagnosed with kallmans syndrome at the age of 21 and never had a sense of smell i am a twin (non identical) and it is interesting that my sister is unafected up untill recently i have had a lot of trouble finding anything on the net about kallmans syndrome however a good site is www.hypohh.net if anyone wants to email me or write i would be most gratefull as there are no support gruops in my area and i am sure you can relate to the fact that it hard to talk to people dont understand where youre coming from
paul conibeer- spudley thefirst@o2.com, england - 10 Jun 2003
I don't have anosmia, but I do find it very interesting to know that your sense of taste and smell really work together to help you distinguish how your food is or tastes. I'm a young person but I don't have anosmia so it's not congenital. I also learned what that means! Thank you for informing me. Now I can tell my uncle who does have anosmia. He will really be grateful.
Cherrypop8, U.S. - 9 Jul 2003
I am now 16 and only till my dog got sick did my mother belive that i couldnt smell. sitting the car with a smelly dog with diaherra, and patting normally amazed her. It does annoy me it took her that long to belive me. I relised i couldn't smell when i was like 8 - 10 years old, i always took it as a joke an advantage, and now that i know its called Congenital Anosmia its eithen funner to say, so this webpage has been great.
Miss_dagarama@yahoo.com.au, Australia - 31 Jul 2003
The other day in the car, all my family started holding their noses and screwing up their faces, me being anosmic it didnt effect me that someone farted.. so i just had to laugh.. 'who ever smelt it delt it..' so lady like arnt i? Happy to have the benefits of life really with out it i wouldn't be me
Emma, Aus - 31 Jul 2003
This website was very helpful
word_to _yourmother@hotmail.com, Arizona - 30 Sep 2003
I was born with Amosnia and also with deformaties. I have not only not have the ability to smell but I was born without a pinky on one hand and one breast is larger than than the other. I now know why. I have been to several doctors and none can explain why this is untill I found this page. I have even been told that I am LUCKY that I was born without the sense of smell. I am thankful to have found this page and know possibly witch way to go for help.
kwilliams@nordam.com, USA - 1 Oct 2003
This is not true: "These five primary tastes are sensed by clearly delineated areas of the tongue. That means that if you place a grain of sugar on the "salty-sensing" part of your tongue, it won't taste very sweet (until it dissolves). " Rather, the tounge is able to sense all flavours, not just in certain areas! :) Cheers!
Jessie, USA - 2 Nov 2003
Te mando este art?ulo a ver si te sirve. Tengo otro y ,adem?, est?la Fundacion de Anosmia. Chau
oliveroo@exchange.nih.gov, USA - 5 Nov 2003
You stated in the fascinating facts that "My intuition tells me this fact isn't quite right - surely something as complex as smell needs to be conducted by more than one nerve?" I might be able to help clarify this. The big difference with smell receptors is that they have no intermediary cells linking to the brain -- they communicate directly with the olfactory lobe itself through tiny perforations in the base of the skull, called the 'cribriform plate'. It's as if they are direct extensions of the brain itself, as opposed to nerves that "link" with specialized cells, as in the case of pain or taste receptors. Gray's Anatomy shows this online: http://www.bartleby.com/107/223.html. BUT, just why these cells fail to work in those of us who are congenitally anosmic is a question which has never been answered for me. Can anybody tell me?
ihtysrof@telus.net, Canada - 13 Nov 2003
I knew that I couldn't smell but I didn't know what it was called actually so i never knew what to say when someone would ask me why I couldn't smell or what it was called. But I found a issue of Nickelodeon Magazine all about your 5 senses. (Well in my case 4) And there was a question about what is the name of it when you cannot smell and one of the choices was anosmia. I was so excited that I finally knew what the name of my condition was. Then I searched out this site and I come back regualrly and read about the people that are like me with congenital anosmia. I finally don't feel like a loner anymore. I know there are more of me since I found this site. Thanks maxuk.net!
Ashley/sweetlilash5652@aol.com, USA - 14 Nov 2003
It's nice to know there are other people like me out there, with congenital anosmia. I figured out when I was 9 years old that I had no sense of smell when my mum, who has an excellent sense of smell, tried to get me to smell a bunch of flowers, not a thing. Anosmia has never bothered me, even when the kids were born, and I had no way to find out if they had a dirty nappy, I just let my husband do the smelling. I must say though I have always wanted to know what perfume smells like. Is there anyone here from South Australia, I would love to here from you. Jenny
jcopley@dodo.com.au, Australia - 19 Dec 2003
Max What a great find your website is! I didn't realize so many people were 'afflicted" Frankly I have never felt any loss by not being able to smell. There is a risk of course with not being able to smell, for example, gas fumes in the bilge of a boat, but generally it's the least important sense. I have congenital anosmia of the highest order...an open bottle of ammonia right under my nose has no smell at all. Any time I tell someone I can't smell they look at me in utter disbelief..."of course you can't taste, right" is the usual response. Some years ago a doctor told me that when the sense of smell it lost for whatever reason, taste receptors that are dormant in the normal person become activated. I have always thought that perhaps anosmias have a more acute sense of taste than the average person . True, delicate flavors like squash or subtle distinctions in certain herbs are lost on me, but I love to eat and I can sure tell when a waiter brings me a foul diet soda when I ordered regular. Thanks for putting up this website...I've never met another anosmiac...and I agree, we ARE the most advanced! Cheers Tom
Tom Scheuerman mobytom1@yahoo.com, USA - 22 Dec 2003
I first went to the doctor about 40 years ago, since I was considering studying chemistry at university and wanted to know whether there was any 'cure' for it, as it was likely to be something of a drawback (remember "note the smell of rotten eggs gas" from your chem lessons?? - well, not me -and, yes, I faked it, too). There wasn't any cure, of course, although the Doc was fascinated, never having encountered this phenomenon before, and called his colleagues in from next door for a look! They couldn't understand how I could taste at all if I couldn't smell: however, I can certainly tell the difference between, say, two different types of red wines or jams (jellies) eve