Sensitivity to Smells?

[indiajust]

Common for women to have much better sense of smell than men.

 

[Sue J]

I was born with no sense of smell. Nothing. As a kid one day I was wrassling with a dog that had been sprayed by a skunk; didn't know it until I got home and mom started screaming the minute I came up the driveway.

To compensate, the universe had me marry DW who's sense of smell is absolutely incredible; as good as a dog! Her brother is the same way. I mean it. We've been on the boat maybe 3-4 miles offshore and she'll go "somebody's grilling burgers on land".

The other day I stopped at the Dunks drive-up for just a coffee. Four hours later I get home and she says "I smell donuts". I never even went into the store!

I knew I wasn’t the only one like this! And yes, it’s been like this since I was very young. I didn’t lose it, I never had it.

Having a spouse who can compensate for my lack of smell makes us a very good pair. A few years ago he had a bad cold or something and his sense of smell wasn’t gone like mine, but was quite diminished for a while. That was a problem!

When this comes up in conversations it seems to bother other people more than me. I’m used to it, to me it’s normal, but other folks act like it’s some horrible loss. I like to imagine that we are just an advanced mutation!

 

[marko]

I knew I wasn’t the only one like this! And yes, it’s been like this since I was very young. I didn’t lose it, I never had it.

Having a spouse who can compensate for my lack of smell makes us a very good pair. A few years ago he had a bad cold or something and his sense of smell wasn’t gone like mine, but was quite diminished for a while. That was a problem!

When this comes up in conversations it seems to bother other people more than me. I’m used to it, to me it’s normal, but other folks act like it’s some horrible loss. I like to imagine that we are just an advanced mutation!

Yes. I never felt like I was missing anything although I'm sure I have been. And yes, a lot of people have given me unwanted sympathy over it...never entered my mind that I'm somehow seen as slightly handicapped. Of all of the senses to not have or lose, I'll take this one.

Like you, I never even really knew I couldn't smell (I'm told I smell great!) until I was about 10 or so.

I'm sure that we're the next generation of advanced humans with our special skill!

Family joke: Had an uncle who could only smell alcohol; and he smelled (of) alcohol all the time.