Anosmia

1633 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Anatomy of the Human Body

Anosmia

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you did not have one of your five senses? At some point in our lives we have all seen a blind or deaf person but how often do we wonder what it would be like if we were in their shoes? Many people take their senses for granted, not giving much thought to the fact that something as simple as bumping your head the wrong way or getting a cold could take away your sense of smell forever. Anosmia is the total loss of the sense of smell and affects approximately two million Americans (Wuensch, 2001). Of all the five senses, smell seems to be the least appreciated due to our society's beliefs that sight and hearing are more important for survival (Gillyatt, 1997). For most people, once they start to notice a decrease in their hearing or sight they go to the doctor almost immediately to fix the problem. However, because the sense of taste and smell are so closely related, many people attribute the problem to a lack of taste and do not see their doctor until the damage is irreversible (Thomson, 2001). Anosmia is a condition in which although there are mild cases, more serious cases do exist which may jeopardize the victim's life. This disorder not only affects the person's life and safety, but also has psychological effects as well . In any case, anosmia should not only be taken seriously, but research should be continued in the hopes of finding better treatments.

Lacking a sense of smell has similar psychological effects as those related to losing one's sight or hearing. For example, many blind people feel cut off from the world and isolated. This case is also seen in many people with anosmia. Some people with anosmia feel physically and socially vulnerable as well a...

... middle of paper ...

...ed, Suckling, Suzuki, Swift, & Williams (2001). Functional magnetic resonance imaging of odor indentification: The effect of aging. Journals of Gerontology, 56A(12), M756-760.

Gillyatt, P., (1997). Loss of smell: when the nose doesn't know. Harvard Health Letter, 22, 6-8.

Morgan (2000). Olfactory event-related potentials in Alzheimer's disease. Dissertation Abstracts International, 61(5-B), 2773.

Ogawa & Rutka (1999). Olfactory dysfunction in head ingured workers. Acta Oto-Laryngologica, 119(540), 50-57.

Thomson, Corp. (2001). Senses- Loss of Smell: How it happens and what it means. Harvard College.

Toller, Van (1999). Assessing the impact of anosmia: review of a questionnaire's findings. Chemical Senses, 24(6), 705-712.

Wuensch, L. (2001, November 10). How frequent is anosmia? [Online]. Available: http://www.personal.ecu.edu/wuenschk/anos-freq.htm

Show More
Related

  • Cranial Nerve Lab Report

    1712 Words  | 4 Pages

    Purpose- To identify the functions of the cranial nerve of the peripheral nervous system such as the olfactory, optic, oculomotor, trochlear, trigeminal, abducens, facial, vestibulocochlear, glossopharyngeal, vagus, accessory, and the hypoglossal nerves. I will examine these functions with a series of behavior tests on my partner who is Jazmine Cooley to see if all nerves are functioning properly and if they are not, then this will be considered an identified dysfunction of a cranial nerve which is a diagnosis.

    Read More

  • Brain Structures And Functions Worksheet Essay

    769 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jones, D. H. (2006-2010). Chapter 3: The Nervous System and the Brain. Retrieved from http://www.nasalspecific.com/nasalspecific_011.htm

    Read More

  • Machiavelli in Modern Times

    2071 Words  | 5 Pages

    Despite it's age, I believe that Machiavelli's writing about individualism in The Prince is relevant to people who are not princes because Machiavelli's main themes are applicable to people of all types. To prove this I have organized my paper into four main sections. Section one- Machiavelli's History, will move toward the thesis by showing that Machiavelli's life experience was not that of royalty. Section two- Individualism, will show how Machiavelli's writing was individualistic, and how that relates to modern people. Section three- The Prince, will explore the main themes of Machiavelli's chief written work, creating the basis of comparison between Machiavelli's writing and modern life. Section four- Machiavelli in Business, relates the themes of section three to modern business.

    Read More

  • Anorexia

    1024 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Fighting Anorexia” and “cookie monster” are two different articles based on research by some group of psychiatrists that focuses on eating disorder, which in psychology is referred to as a mental illness. Anorexia nervosa is a mental condition that describes a person’s obsession with food and the acute anxiety over weight gain (Newsweek cover, 2005). This disorder is categorized by an individual’s phobia on what to eat and what not to eat; as a result, the person begins to starve his or her self just to avoid adding more weight. The article published on the “Cookie Monster” expatiate on a research that describes how food is being used by some individuals to change their mood (McCarthy, 2001). This research shows that individuals especially college students try to subdue their emotions through the use of sweets and cookies. To further understand of these two experimental research in both articles, some important questions will be answered below.

    Read More

  • Jazz Age Essay

    1293 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Jazz Age was one of the many highlights of the 1920’s before the stock market crash that triggered the start of the Great Depression in 1929. Because of the distress that the American soldiers faced during World War 1, many of them returned questioning the true meaning of life. Their solution was to recklessly enjoy their lives since you only live once. A completely new culture bloomed during the decade through it’s new music, crazy dancing and brand new atmosphere. While the country seemed to be rather optimistic as a whole during the 1920’s, this decade actually had quite a few issues. Although the United States demonstrated confidence throughout the decade, there were many situations in which the country experienced disillusionment and isolation.

    Read More

  • What is Bipolar Disorder?

    941 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hirshkowitz, M., & Smith, P. B. (2004). Sleep disorders for dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Pub.

    Read More

  • Sleep Disorders: Rapid Eye Movement

    1718 Words  | 4 Pages

    "Sleep disorders appear to be a global epidemic, affecting up to 45% of the world's population" (Noor, et al n.p.). That’s leaving a 55% chunk of the world’s population not affected. More than 70 million people in our nation experience sleep disorders, most of whom are unaware of the impact on their daily life (Wells,Vaughn 234). Due to a large portion of people being unaware of sleep disorders’ impaction, the number continuously increases. Major sleep disorders are known to be Rapid Eye Movement(REM), Insomnia, and Obstructive Sleep Apnea(OSA). Over 80 medically recognized sleep disorders exist with insomnia, sleep apnea, snoring, jet lag, shift work, sleepwalking and restless legs syndrome being some of the most common (Wells, Vaughn 234). "Poor sleep in the general population has been shown to have a significant impact on daily function, including considerable daytime cognition dysfunction, decreased ability to accomplish daily tasks, diminished sense of success and achievement, depressed mood, and reduced enjoyment of interpersonal relationships" (Andrews, Strong n.p. 500). Sleep disorders affect a large portion of society, leading people to have a daily lifestyle of drowsiness, stress and poor productivity; treatment has increased as more people become aware of sleep disorders.

    Read More

  • The Great Gatsby: America in the 1920s

    2392 Words  | 5 Pages

    Also known as the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties, the American people felt that they deserved to have some fun in order to forget the emotional toll and social scars left from the war. The Jazz Age was appropriately named due to the illegal activities and good times, which included music, parties, and flapper girls. Jazz was a new style of music that originated out of the New Orleans area, where one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time – Louis Armstrong – began his career. The energy of jazz was a very new and almost uncomfortable style for the very traditional, rigid family of the 1920s. Young people in particular seemed to enjoy this new music the most, as it made them feel carefree. The energy of jazz was symbolic of the era’s trans...

    Read More

  • Insomnia

    2188 Words  | 5 Pages

    Chokroverty, Sudhansu. “100 Questions and Answers about Sleep and Sleep      Disorders.” 2003. Google.(Dec. 14 2004).     http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/insomnia.html. (28      November 2004).

    Read More

  • Notes from the Underground, the Tormented Narrator

    656 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Underground Man is spiteful. He tells us this and we really ought to believe him. The Underground Man is not only bothered by the class system of Russia but he is also plagued by everyone that he happens to glance at. Namely, I think that he is tormented by the fact that he is not free. He will never be free. He is a prisoner of himself.

    Read More

  • Scent Case Study

    1393 Words  | 3 Pages

    Scent is part of the five senses that are developed when an infant is still in the mother’s womb. It is processed by a part of the brain that correlates with memory, so at a young age an infant could differentiate who their mother is by scent. Odor is a sign and olfactory condition (Waskul & Vannini, 2008). As someone gets older they begin to develop scents they like and dislike. There are also scents that people find attractive and unattractive. When meeting another individual for the first time a human’s first instinct is to smell them without realizing it. For instance, have you ever sat by someone or hugged someone who smelled good or bad? If so, many people tend to associate the scent with attractiveness or unattractiveness depending on the level of smell. There have been many studies indicating that there is a strong correlation between odor and attractiveness. Although the scent is a universal and an undetectable smell it can influence the level of perceived attractiveness of another person.

    Read More

  • Smell In The South Williams Analysis

    471 Words  | 1 Pages

    The author reminds us of how our nose smell good odor by saying “and now it is the souring flowers of the bedraggled.” (par.5); the odor of flowers are most of the time good odors and make us feel good. When I feel bad sometimes, I find a flower and smell that flower because it does make me feel good and make me forget about my problem for a moment. Although, the author mostly questioned why our nose have to

    Read More

  • Olfactics: The Underrated Sense in Communication

    1060 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are numerous types of non-verbal communication, yet one of the most underestimated is the olfactics, or our sense of smell. It is generally assumed that the greater portion of the sensory world and communication is experienced through the auditory and visual senses. However, the underrated impact of our sense of smell is increasingly becoming acknowledged as a powerful communicator. The human nose has the capacity to differentiate between 1

    Read More

  • Sleep disorders

    2886 Words  | 6 Pages

    Sleep disorders are defined as a group of syndromes characterized by disturbance in the patient's amount of sleep, quality or timing of sleep, or in behaviors or physiological conditions associated with sleep. To qualify for a diagnosis of sleep disorder, the condition must be a persistent problem, cause the patient significant emotional distress, and interfere with his or her social or occupational functioning. (Frey p265). Some sleep disorders can effect children of all ages. The sleep disorder that children are subject to often depends on their age and development. Sleep disorders change most frequent in the middle-school years. Children often experience more anxiety at this time. (Burcum). The source of the certain sleep disorder cannot normally be pin pointed in every case. Many factors come in to play when dealing with the cause of a sleep disruption. Parental characteristics, personality, psychosocial influences, education, parenting skills, stress, trauma, school, culture and personal health can all bring about sleeping disorders in young to middle-aged children.

    Read More

  • Sleeping Beauties Need Their Beauty Sleep

    1250 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sleep and Sleep Disorders. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 July 2013. Web. 7 May 2014. .

    Read More

More about Anosmia

Open Document