Losing your sense of smell can affect quality of life as severely as diabetes, stroke, Parkinson’s and kidney failure, a study has found.
People with a smell or taste disorder lose the simple pleasure of smelling a morning coffee or tasting a home-cooked meal.
While this loss of smell and taste may be seen as merely an inconvenience, life can quickly become bleak – with patients reporting levels of misery comparable to some of the most serious chronic illnesses.
As many as one in five people are affected by a smell or taste disorder. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the impact of smell and taste loss, known as anosmia and ageusia, a common symptom which affected millions who had the virus.
A new study by researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) has now revealed taking these senses away can be debilitating.
Lead researcher Professor Carl Philpott, from the University of East Anglia’s Norwich Medical School, said: “We found that smell and taste disorders consistently produce significant emotional, social and psychological suffering, often rivalling conditions routinely considered life-altering.
“Patients described loss of pleasure in food, difficulties socialising, heightened anxiety around personal safety – such as being unable to smell smoke or gas – and a disturbing sense of emotional numbness.
“Perhaps most alarming was the fact that rates of depression and social withdrawal among people with smell and taste loss were repeatedly found to be high.”
For the study, published in the journal Clinical Otolaryngology, researchers analysed dozens of studies comparing quality of life scores of smell and taste disorders with a wide range of chronic illnesses – including diabetes, stroke, heart failure, asthma, cardiovascular and respiratory conditions.
Researchers found there were 455 patients with smell and taste disorders, and the majority of them suffered from depression. One in five had moderate, severe or extreme depression.
The study also found that for many sufferers, eating stops being one of life’s pleasures and becomes a purely functional act.
“Smell accounts for most of what people perceive as taste,” said Prof Philpott. “So when this is lost, meals can feel bland, metallic or even repulsive. Some people lose weight due to lack of appetite, while others gain weight after chasing stronger or sweeter flavours.”
Despite these profound effects, smell and taste disorders have historically been sidelined.
Prof Philpott added: “The problem is that doctors often reassure patients that the problem is minor or temporary, even when symptoms persist for years. Few specialist services exist, and access to treatment remains limited.”
