Can't smell it anymore? could be a sign of near death

The human sense of smell is an amazing system. In good health, humans can smell up to a trillion different odors. However, there are also people who can no longer smell anything or can only smell certain types of scents.

A study in the United States revealed that people who lose their sense of smell are at greater risk of death within five years. Is that right? Find out the full explanation below.

Why can someone lose their sense of smell?

Complete loss of the sense of smell is known as anosmia. To understand how anosmia occurs, you first need to know how humans smell. The things around you will release certain molecules which are then caught by the nerve cells in your nose. These nerve cells then send a special signal to the brain. It is the brain that will recognize the smells you smell.

Any disturbance in the olfactory process will cause anosmia. The trigger can be all kinds. Starting from allergies, sinus infections, injuries to the nose or head, aging, to disabilities or certain chronic diseases.

What does it mean if someone can't smell?

According to a study by a team of experts from the University of Chicago in the United States, people who can't smell are more likely to die early. The study, published in the journal Public Library of Science (PLOS) One, looked at more than 3,000 elderly participants from 2005 to 2011. From these scientific observations, it was found that people who lost their sense of smell were four times more likely to die. within five years.

Some 39 percent of the elderly participants who could not smell died within five years after they were first asked to undergo a sense of smell test. The number of elderly people whose sense of smell had begun to decrease and who died within five years was 19 percent. Meanwhile, only 10 percent of the elderly with normal and healthy senses of smell died within five years.

Another study in the journal Annals of Neurology in 2008 also saw that adults who had no smell were more susceptible to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. From the various results of these studies, it can be concluded that losing the sense of smell is not a health symptom that can be underestimated.

How is the sense of smell related to human age?

According to experts, losing the sense of smell cannot lead to death. This only indicates a symptom of health problems that might shorten a person's life.

Your sense of smell is regulated by nerve cells located in the central nervous system. These cells should be able to renew themselves (regenerate) continuously. If you can't smell, then your cells are no longer able to regenerate. This means that there is serious damage to your nervous system.

That's why losing your sense of smell, especially in the elderly, may mean that your body is unable to fight cell damage and repair itself. So, if you begin to have difficulty recognizing or smelling the smell, it never hurts to immediately see a doctor.