Word: smells
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...affliction that can lead to undereating, overeating, food or gas poisoning, depression, even death. More than three-quarters of us will suffer from it by the time we reach our 80s. But the good news is that in some cases this affliction--the loss of taste or smell, which together enable us to savor food--can be treated. And even when these senses can't be restored, there are ways to compensate...
...people are often unaware that they are suffering from it. "If your vision goes, you say, 'My vision isn't what it used to be. I have glaucoma.' If your hearing is poor, you say, 'Please speak louder. My hearing isn't good.' But if your taste and smell decline, you blame the food," says Susan Schiffman, a researcher at Duke University Medical Center. Many people also believe, erroneously, that flavor is perceived through taste alone; in fact, smell supplies all the nuances of flavor, enabling us to distinguish, say, one fruit from another. Smell is more fragile than taste...
...dangerous. "Some people undereat because food is so unpalatable that they've lost the desire," says Arlene Spark, coordinator of public health nutrition at Hunter College. "Others overeat because they're looking for something that tastes good." Still others omit important food groups, like vegetables, which to smell-impaired people can taste bitter. The dangers can be more immediate: many people in their 40s begin to lose their ability to detect mercaptans, the warning odors put into propane and natural gas, and may be unaware of gas leaks...
...with many ailments, an accurate diagnosis can circumvent many potential perils. Richard Doty, director of the University of Pennsylvania's Smell and Taste Center, believes everyone should be tested regularly, beginning in childhood. "Just knowing that you have a problem will make you more careful with natural gas or make you change to electrical appliances," he says. Besides, smell loss can be a tip-off to an underlying disease that requires medical intervention...
There are a multitude of causes, including normal aging, poor dental hygiene, infections and viruses, exposure to toxic fumes, and head trauma. "It's much easier to prevent than to treat," says Dr. Alan Hirsch, neurological director of Chicago's Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation. "I always encourage people to wear seat belts to avoid head trauma. Avoid use of cigarettes. Avoid use of illegal drugs like cocaine." Marcia Levin Pelchat, a researcher at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, offers a simple piece of advice: "Stay healthy." Elderly people who are healthy have better flavor perception than...