Anosmia

Anosmia is when a person partially or completely loses their sense of smell. This condition is difficult to treat and many Americans with anosmia go uncured. Anosmia is caused by swelling or blockage in the nose, being from a common cold, allergies, nasal polyps, and other conditions that may irritate the nose. Our sense of smell enhances 80 percent of flavor, anosmics often enhance their remaining 20 percent of flavor with spices. A man named Karl Wuensch became anosmic, which was a result of large polyps in his sinuses and swollen turbinates. Since Wuensch is now unable to smell, he had to make a few changes in his life. He now prefers super-spicy foods and has to be extra careful when cooking to make sure his food doesn't burn. Wuensch claimed to miss the smell of people the most and how it affected his interactions with people intimately and casually. We all have a special smell based on our natural odor. We are able to recognize other peoples smells and find one more pleasant and sexually attractive based on their odors. This plays a role in our relationships and interactions with others.

Furthermore, in relation to our present pandemic, COVID-19 patients can experience anosmia as well. We all tried the challenge of eating a lemon while not having a reaction. Recently, this challenge has become more popular and expanded across media. To bring a positive light to our current situation, people who have tested positive for COVID-19 were intrigued by the trend of trying different foods and drinks to test if they can taste it. A few things that are popular in this trend include: lemons, hot sauce, onions; and for those who are over the age of 21, alcohol. Most of the time, for those who have tried this trend, the foods they consumed had no flavor. This is due to a temporary loss of function of supporting cells in the olfactory epithelium. Although the curiosity of not tasting something extremely hot or sour is growing, it is not something we wish for. Overall, the loss of smell can impact our relationships and the foods we love to eat. 

Rosenblum, L. D. (2011). See what I'm saying: the extraordinary powers of our five senses. W.W. Norton. 

Jiang, K. (2020, July 24). How COVID-19 causes loss of smell. Harvard medical school. https://hms.harvard.edu/news/how-covid-19-causes-loss-smell#:~:text=Smell%20loss%20clue,sensory%20neurons%2C%20the%20authors%20said.