Health Tip: Can't Smell or Taste?
(HealthDay News) -- Your senses of smell and taste contribute substantially to your enjoyment of life, and when they're impaired, life loses some zest. Older people with either condition are particularly prone to eating poorly and socializing less.
Scientists have found that a person's sense of smell is most accurate between ages 30 and 60, then begins to decline. Women of all ages are generally more accurate than men in identifying odors.
If you experience a smell or taste problem, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery suggests trying to identify and record the circumstances surrounding it.
When did you first become aware of it? Were you ill or injured at the time? Were you exposed to air pollutants, pollens, dander or dust to which you might be allergic?
Bring this information with you when you visit a doctor who deals with diseases of the nose and throat. Many types of smell and taste disorders are reversible.
-- Nancyann Rella
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