What it's like to lose your sense of smell

Being blind or deaf poses some very serious problems to living a normal life. But what about losing your sense of smell?

Sure, you would be blissfully unaware of some of the more unpleasant smells in the world (shout out to hot garbage) — but what must it feel like to not experience the aroma of delicious barbecue wafting from the grill, or the scent of an asphalt driveway after the rain, or that indescribably delicious smell of a newborn baby?

Our sense of smell is deeply intertwined with our memories and emotions, meaning that those who lose their ability to smell through accident or illness experience "a strong sense of loss," writes Emma Young at Mosaic. Young spoke with Nick, a 34-year-old who lost his sense of smell after a hockey accident last year. While Nick is thankful to be alive, it's clear that losing his sense of smell (doctors suspect his olfactory nerve cells were damaged or totally destroyed after he sustained a head injury) has come with an enormous emotional toll.

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While the tongue can still taste sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami flavors, "more complex flavors — like grapefruit or barbecued steak — depend on smell," Young writes. Nick, who works at a craft brewery, says that without his sense of smell, his favorite beer is "a shell of its former self" to him now. He knows that the hops should give off notes of pine, citrus, and grapefruit, but he can no longer confirm that. He has also begun to rely on salty and spicy foods to whet his appetite now that the subtleties of flavor that come with foods' aromas are lost on him.

But the saddest part of Nick's ailment may be how once visceral experiences have now lost a dimension. As Nick puts it:

Read the full story at Mosaic.