Unlocking the Secrets of Your Sense of Smell: Part 3

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.