It’s time for breakfast. You open the refrigerator, grab the milk and take a whiff. It smells bad. But your spouse is pouring the milk into his bowl.

“Hey, did you smell that? It’s rotten! Don’t use it!” And you wonder, did he not smell how sour the milk was? Maybe, maybe not.

Usually, it’s women who complains about smells and spoilage. This is because women generally have a better sense of smell than men. And this difference in smell sensitivity actually gets more pronounced with age.

Even so, most of us probably didn’t t think much about our sense of smell until the COVID 19 pandemic hit and people partially lost their sense of smell. Given this recent attention to smell, does loss of smell mean anything when it comes to health and mental health?

If something smells, it means it is giving off molecules. Those molecules are inhaled in the nose  where millions of receptors await and some eventually create a scent pattern. According to neuroscientist, Dr. Joel Mainland, 40 billion molecules have an odor! That’s a lot for the brain to process! But patterns emerge and  smells can trigger memories and create memory flashbacks linked to emotions. Smells are so powerful they can also trigger relapse when someone is fighting for sobriety. We also know that a distortion in smell can be linked to depression and other psychiatric conditions.

In terms of our health, we know smell is linked to taste which could cause a person to over or under eat. And certainly if your ability to smell is compromised you could not detect a gas leak or fire, creating possible safety issues.

Problems with smell have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, etc., and autoimmune disorders like multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s. The thinking is that smell dysfunction might be an early indicator of these health problems. In fact, some people report they can smell disease when they walk into a room! And because of the power of smell, dog trainers are experimenting with the idea that dogs may be able to sniff out diseases.

Additionally, some people have a heightened sense of smell called hyperosmia. This doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong and you have an underlying health condition. It’s also rare. But it has been seen in pregnancy, epilepsy, Addison’s disease, Lyme disease and some psychiatric conditions. It can also develop due to exposure to toxins, allergens, and may indicate diabetes or other nutritional disorders. So, if your hypersensitivity to smell persists or you believe there has been a change in smell, let your doctor know.

Now, before you worry too much, also keep in mind that like so many other senses, smell weakens with age too. This is normal.

And here is also a crazy thought when it comes to the future of smell.  A global survey by Ericsson ConsumerLab found that consumers expect big things to come in the area of smell. According to the survey, by the year 2030, consumers hope they can smell movies and digital products on the internet! Hmmm…I am not sure I really want this option!