This next video made by Jessica Abell, Francie Kaplan, Stephanie Oberto, and Erin Smith (“Sweet Beats” by Francie Kaplan), is a “documentary for the schools, inspired by tragedy in my own life,” so the YouTube description states…
For those of you who do not know, YouTube is filled with a ton of videos on the subject of anosmia. And since I didn’t know about this until recently, I thought I’d share with you some of the more interesting videos…
The above question is a question my husband and I found ourselves asking while eating dinner (orange chicken over steamed rice). And do not be fooled by the seemingly negligible occasion that has become the American dinnertime…no, this moment was quite significant. For I, Heather…congenital anosmic…was able to SMELL something!!!!
At least, I think I did. Maybe. Well, I’m not really sure. Here’s what happened: Alan handed me a bowl of orange chicken and then I felt a “tingle” deep inside my nasal cavities…
Anosmia is typically defined as an absence in the ability to smell, which can either be temporary or permanent. Those who have temporary or sudden onset anosmia typically have it worse off than those with congenital anosmia (people who were born without the sense, like me). Those with sudden onset often exhibit symptoms of depression and a loss of appetite.
I’m asked this question almost immediately after I’ve explained that I was born without a sense of smell. And the answer is this: Yes, sort of. I heard a statistic many years ago (so I’m not sure if it’s very reliable) that smell only affects roughly 30% of taste. Again, not sure if that is accurate or not…
Heather Ackmann was born without a sense of smell (congenital anosmia) and constantly finds herself explaining all kinds of strange things to strangers, like eating habits, whether she uses deodorant, and whether she can "smell this." She built this website for the curious who are afraid to ask, and for the afflicted who love to share. You can read more about me here