Crap sense of smell

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wbosher

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Hi guys,

Just wondering how many out there can’t smell, or at least have a very poor sense of smell. Have you found anything that helps? I keep meaning to go to the doctor, but I just never get the time.

I have never been able to smell for as far back as I can remember, and it really has never bothered me until I started brewing beer. I can be cooking a curry, or something really garlicy (if that’s a word), and have to literally stick my face in the pot to get anything at all, even then I sometimes get nothing. My wife can walk in the front door and smell it from there.

Anyway, just wondering how common this is, and if anyone else has found a nasal spray or any other method that helps.

Cheers
 
Do you surf? Everyone I know who has little or no sense of smell is a surfer. Or a boxer.

In that case its caused by a specific injury. When being heavily dumped (or punched) onto your face the tiny nerves that pass through a piece of perforated bone into the smell part of the nose get severed. They don't always grow back properly.

Cheers
Dave
 
Neither. As far as I know it's always been that way.

I remember going to the doctors as a child for it, but nothing came of it...something to do with needing things stuck up my nose, and as a small child, that terrified me a lot more than the prospect of never being able to smell. :lol:
 
My sense of smell has always been poor due to the fact when I was a kid I dived while sleeping onto the bottom bunk. The tube metal type. Nose first. It took years to improve but it is pretty good since I began brewing. I cant pick up too much of a scent from across the room unless it is very strong and Im able to have a good smell of things up close thank the brewing gods. Ive never really known anything to improve it but im interested in what replies come back.
 
I had a work colleague who had a similar issue and his doctor gave him a nasal spray, I think it was just saline. He used it for about three months every day and it did improve. However, when he stopped using it went back to the way it was.

I don't recall having any major knock to the nose as a child, but my nose does seem almost permanently congested, which is why I'm thinking nasal spray of some sort. Came in pretty handy when changing nappies though...
 
I can smell things like curry or garlic but when it comes to brewing my sense of smell and taste isnt that good. I can taste a beer but not be able to descibe exactly what the taste is. Usually I give it to my missus to try and she can tell straight away what she can taste. Once she describes it then I can usually taste it too, but need someone else to tell me what im looking for. She has detected green apple in a beer before that I couldnt detect until after she mentioned it.

I would love to do a beer tasting course where they perhaps teach you this stuff and give you examples of what common off flavours smell and taste like. Or be able to use a nasal spray etc that helps improve this.
 
How about you ask a doctor instead of a bunch of drunks?
 
bum said:
How about you ask a doctor instead of a bunch of drunks?
It is quite a common problem apparently, so thought maybe someone here might have an answer before I stump up $50 for a doctor visit, but yes that's the next port of call bum :)
 
Truman said:
I can smell things like curry or garlic but when it comes to brewing my sense of smell and taste isnt that good. I can taste a beer but not be able to descibe exactly what the taste is. Usually I give it to my missus to try and she can tell straight away what she can taste. Once she describes it then I can usually taste it too, but need someone else to tell me what im looking for. She has detected green apple in a beer before that I couldnt detect until after she mentioned it.

I would love to do a beer tasting course where they perhaps teach you this stuff and give you examples of what common off flavours smell and taste like. Or be able to use a nasal spray etc that helps improve this.

You better apologise to Vince and give him an email then. :lol: :p
 
Sounds like a sinus condition to me. I bulk bill so no charge this time.

Your welcome.
 
Truman said:
I can smell things like curry or garlic but when it comes to brewing my sense of smell and taste isnt that good. I can taste a beer but not be able to descibe exactly what the taste is. Usually I give it to my missus to try and she can tell straight away what she can taste. Once she describes it then I can usually taste it too, but need someone else to tell me what im looking for. She has detected green apple in a beer before that I couldnt detect until after she mentioned it.

I would love to do a beer tasting course where they perhaps teach you this stuff and give you examples of what common off flavours smell and taste like. Or be able to use a nasal spray etc that helps improve this.
There's a difference between not being able to smell and not being able to describe what you smell.
 
The weird thing is that I can still taste, probably not quite like most other people but there are still foods and drinks that I like and dislike, some I love and some I just despise. Maybe it's more of a texture thing, I don't know.

There is definitely some smell there, just not much. I get a burning sensation from smelling a fermenting beer, CO2 I guess, and also from a really hot spicy pot of curry, but have to stick my nose right in there. You're probably right Bradstreet about the sinuses, I would think that if were nerve damage or polyps, I'd have no smell at all.

Anyway, guess I should let a doctor take a look. Might be able to taste and smell some of the things described here, be funny if it turned out that I don't actually like beer.
 
wbosher said:
Bradstreet
I reckon that's the funniest thing I will read all day today.

Have you ever considered that your sense of smell could be somehow linked to your eye sight?
 
Florian said:
I reckon that's the funniest thing I will read all day today.

Have you ever considered that your sense of smell could be somehow linked to your eye sight?
Bloody autocorrect on my Samsung. :lol:
 
my sense of smell has been destroyed after many years of working in a particlepoard manafacturing plant. This is due to the fact that amonia nitrate, Formaldehyde and other things that make up the resin that glues all that goodness together tends to have an adverse effect om your sense of smell.........Its a true story :p :beerbang: :unsure:
 
Florian said:
I reckon that's the funniest thing I will read all day today.

Have you ever considered that your sense of smell could be somehow linked to your eye sight?
Bradstreet, I like it.
 
Try zinc lozenges. Improve your sperm count as well.
 
Shit, already got two kids, don't want any more! :eek:
 

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