Posted by JohnLA on September 19, 2011, at 2:22:28
In reply to Re: Loss of Olfactory Sense Leads to Depression /Disor » floatingbridge, posted by Phillipa on September 18, 2011, at 23:28:16
hi guys-
i'm anosmic as well phillipa. mine is due to chronic sinus infections and nasal polyps over many years. i think my mild depression started when i lost my sense of smell about 8 years ago. a real bummer. there is a yahoo support group if you are interested. i joined for a while, but withdrew after a while because it was depressing. ;) i've had 2 sinus surgeries to remove the polyps. i also do a daily saline sinus rinse with a steroid. there are studies showing that some people are regaining their sense of smell by doing this. not sure how you lost your sense of smell phillipa but you might want to look into this.
ironically it gets about the same sympathy/understanding as depression gets. it's just something you don't understand until it happens to you. it drives me nuts when people say 'god that smells so good' or 'cool, what a great way to lose weight.'
food can still be enjoyable. the tongue can taste 4 things; sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. and a 5th some people claim which i think goes by unami or ugami. sorry my japanese is not good! so combining the above mentioned combos might please your palate.
texture, color and temperature are also ways to still enjoy food.
still, it totally sucks. sometimes i think i get a whiff of coffee and it's heavenly.
let me know if you have any questions.
john
poster:JohnLA
thread:996950
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110914/msgs/997160.html