Wondering Why?

Why do smells make me sick

Why do smells make me sick

Have you ever experienced smelling something that you once love like a favorite food, flower, or perfume then suddenly it annoys you to the point of making you sick? Or instances that you perceive to smell something which is not even present at all? This may sound peculiar but there are occasions when people do get to have a change in their perception of smell and it is not an isolated case or just because of old age. In fact, year after year a reported case of over 200,000 people get to visit their physician and complain about having a smell disorder.

Aside from the obvious loss in the ability to smell like in hyposmia or anosmia, a change in the perception of odors is also included as a smell disorder. Usually people who get to experience this developed a distorted sense of smell due to various reasons.

Smell disorder can be caused by a head injury or a respiratory infection, viral disease, dental problems, hormonal imbalances common in pregnancy, exposure to chemicals, or undergoing medical treatments. However, if all this conditions are not present and yet there is a continuous disturbance in smelling then it could be a due to a deficiency in Zinc, or related issues.

According to Ananda Prasad, M.D., Ph.D, an expert in the study of zinc as an essential mineral, a mild deficiency in zinc can cause various health risks to a person. Study shows that the olfactory cells which are commonly found in the nose are specialized and highly dependent on zinc, together with other nutrients, for its maintenance and growth. Studies also stated that 20 to 25 percent of smell disorders are zinc related not directly because of a deficiency, but because of the body’s inability to properly utilize and distribute the zinc that is present inside the body.

Hopefully knowing all these may have given you an idea in the kind of condition that you are experiencing. However, it is still best to seek expert’s advice, in this case an otolaryngologist, to best address your smell problem.


Related Topics :

2 Submissions

  1. Ever since I was a kid smells would make me sick. One day my parents were cooking dear meat but the smell put me into nausea and cramps. For the longest time they thought I was just being a stupid kid but my mom caught on years later when just about everything made me want to vomit. This isn’t a constant thing but I feel that Im more sensitive to smells of any kind than the average person. Lately it’s been the smell of coffee for some reason. I used to drink a lot of coffee too but within the last year I can not stand the smell of it and it causes a gag reflex. Also even though I enjoy alcohol I sometimes get violently ill by the smells of beer, a bloody mary, or other drinks. Sometimes people assume I can’t handle my drink but it’s not that Im too drunk it’s just sometimes the smells make me want to vomit. And don’t get me started on cigarette smoke oh man that stuff is scanky.

  2. If your parents cooked “dear” meat. You have far worse problems.

Do you think the article can be improved? Share Your Expertise
