Just when we were getting used to the idea that many (if not
most) of us will lose brain function as we age, another news report tells us another
thing is likely to leave us: our sense of smell.
According to the Wall Street Journal, half of us will
experience some reduction in nose function by age 60; by 80, three-fourths of
us will.
Definitely not good news! What could be better than the smell of morning
coffee?
or the air after a spring shower?
or clothes dried in the sun?
I've often thought my sense of smell is more acute than most,
as I am able to smell and identify scents before others do. And my
scent memory is very strong. Once I’ve sniffed a particular perfume and know
the name, I can detect and identify it in a crowded room.
We know that memories are triggered by scent associations. I
remember my first “boyfriend” in fifth grade smelled like Dial soap.
Aquamarine
lotion by Revlon reminds me of a high school friend who always carried a bottle
in her handbag. I loved that smell.
I like the smell of books,
warm puppies
and bread baking in
the oven.
What a tragedy it would be to lose one’s sense of smell!
According to the Journal article, “puzzle books” for the nose
are available. These include exercises that sharpen the olfactory function the
way crosswords exercise your brain.
It also recommends filling small jars with various spices, pencil
shavings and plant leaves and sniffing them regularly. Thirty minutes each day is
recommended in order to kick start the receptors in the brain. Do we really
have time for this though?
People who teach others how to smell — perfumers and
sommeliers — advise their students to "smell mindfully" during the
day. Would this qualify as “nose meditation?”
To test your sense of smell, hold a cotton ball soaked in
alcohol beneath the chin and see if you can smell it. Passed this one.
Another test is closing the eyes and holding the nose and
tasting chocolate and vanilla ice cream to see if you can tell the difference. OK,
tried that one and I’m in good shape. And what a perfect excuse to have desert!
I wasn’t expecting to lose my sense of smell, and so far, so
good. But one never knows, so I expect I’ll have to do the scent test more
often. What a perfect excuse to have desert!
How's your sense of smell? What are some of your favorite scents?
What an interesting post!
ReplyDeleteThe smell of a puppy definitely is one of my favorites. And the smell of a horse in the summer! And fresh hay.
Sun dried clothes too + the coffee.
Then there is a soap used over here washing carpets outside, a really old product, on the market for ever so long.
And my current perfume.
Good scents are one of the small pleasures of life. Hopefully, all of us will retain our wonderful sense of smell to continue enjoying these special scents we enjoy.
DeleteI think my sense of smell is still pretty good. I like the smell of cotton being ironed, especially on a warm summer day. There are other smells associated with old memories for me. The smell of patchouli takes me right back to the Hippie Days. Gardenias are one of my favorite flower scents. Pine trees and needles smell wonderful when the weather gets warm.
ReplyDeleteDarla
Ironing cotton IS a really nice one. Ah, patchouli and musk oil - what all the really hip girls were smelling of in the 60s and 70s. Gardenias are one of my favorite flower smells, too.
DeleteFreshly mown grass,the smell of babies fresh from the bath,lavender,smoke from Autumn bonfires.Also clothes fresh from the line +coffee.
ReplyDeleteThanks for another interesting post.Judith/Ida
Love the lavender scent, as well as the other ones you add.
Deletewhat a cute photo of your dog :-) I'm very attached to my sense of smell which matches your smelling perception perfectly. In the last few years my sense of smell has improved dramatically as my eyesight and hearing worsened. I never believed in the connection and balance of the senses though.
ReplyDeleteActually, that's not a photo of my dog, but one I found. Isn't he cute? Great to hear your sense of smell has improved.
DeleteCoffee and babies, roses and sweet peas, the air on a high mountain, the sea ... the list goes on. I didn't know the sense of smell could decline, so I also will be working on sharpening mine. The nostalgia of an old-remembered scent is too precious to lose!
ReplyDeleteTo have a scented garden is a project I will work on this year. I have sweet peas started from seed and they are ready to plant out -- if only the weather would warm enough to do so. I found the notion of scent puzzles intriguing; would like to know more about those.
DeleteI am so impressed with your knowledge of perfumes. What a fun thing to be able to do. I agree on passing on that cotton ball with alcohol test. I can smell the alcohol as soon as I open the bottle. I love the scent of Curry, Chocolate, and fresh fruit and flowers.
ReplyDeleteI have always been so addicted to perfumes. White Shoulders reminds me of my grandmother; Jean Nate of one trip I took; Ralph Lauren of a time when I was recovering from surgery - the list goes on. One would have to have no sense of smell at all not to detect that alcohol scent, don't you think?
Deletei've heard that loss of smell contributes to loss of appetite and resulting weight loss in the elderly, so it's a health concern as well as a quality of life issue. i wish there were a way to forestall it :(
ReplyDeleteThis one got my attention right away - my doggie and he most certainly has a great nose! Smells do bring back so many memories of things in the past. I also love the smell of gardenia, lavender and chocolate. Coffee is great also and to me really smells better than it tastes. You really do have a very good sense of smell as well as taste. You can always tell what a dish has in it.
ReplyDelete