Does your sense of smell diminish as you age?
Like our eyesight, our sense of smell weakens as we age.
While the jury is still out in determining just when our
sense of smell peaks and begins to decline—some
experts say that it peaks at the age of eight and begins to
decline as early as the age of fifteen—the general
consensus, however, seems to be that our sense of smell
remains sharp well into our fourth and fifth decades and
that it largely depends on our particular state of health.
As we age, our numbers of olfactory receptor cells
diminish. Research suggests that a sixty-five year old may
have as few as one-third as many receptor cells as an
individual who is twenty. And though our sense of smell is
most acute between the ages of twenty and forty, we use our
sense of smell to enhance our living, alert us to danger,
and make important decisions about people and places
throughout our lifetime.
In "Taste and Smell Losses with Age" Dr. Susan Schiffman
reports that as we get older, our ability to detect odours,
discriminate among different odours, and perceive the
strength of odours diminishes. She found that odours for
many elderly subjects are only half as intense as those for
young people.
Though our sense of smell generally begins to weaken after
our sixth decade, (in one study, about one quarter of
subjects between the ages of sixty-five and eighty years
old had a total lack of a sense of smell), Dr. Schiffman
claims that the sense of smell of many of the octogenarians
would rival that of twenty year olds. She concludes that
that elderly subjects who demonstrate good mental and
physical health generally have a sense of smell which is
comparable to that of young individuals.
Can you "exercise" your nose to keep it young?
Yes. While researchers are searching for treatments to
help counteract the effects that aging has on our sense of
smell (and taste), there are "exercises" that you can do
now to keep your nose (and taste buds) young. Like our
other senses, our sense of smell can be kept young with its
constant and creative use that includes:
* Using your mind, not your nose to smell. Imagine the
scent of different fragrances in much the same way you
imagine the notes of a song. We perceive most fragrances on
an unconscious level. Try to imagine the scent of a
cinnamon candle, a peppermint stick, or lilacs in the
spring. Write a list and practice imagining these scents
on a regular basis—perhaps, a few times a week.
* Purchase scented candles. While you enjoy the benefits
of their scented aromas, take the time to smell each one
individually. Smell often, but not for long. Alternate
between fragrances. The more you do this, the sharper your
sense of smell will become. If you need to refresh your
nose, step away, blow a few puffs of air through your nose,
and then sniff again.
* Stop and smell the flowers! Everywhere around you are
fragrances. Your job is to notice and smell them. In the
course of each day, try to make a mental note of at least a
couple dozen or more scents. Try to associate what you did
during the day while you experienced these fragrances.
Make fragrance diaries, recording fragrances along with
your thoughts and activities.
* Vary your fragrances throughout the day. Use one
fragrance to wake up to, another to give you energy at
midday, and another to calm and relax you in the evening.
----------------------------------------------------
Luke Vorstermans is the founder of The Sense of Smell Lab,
a world leader in the development of innovative products
that use our sense of smell to influence behavior, trigger
memories, manage cravings, enhance moods and improve sexual
health. To learn more about enhancing your sex drive, go
to http://www.scentuellepatch.com
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