MY ANOSMATIC LIFE

The topic of anosmia usually comes up when someone says, “Smell this!” or asks, “Do you smell that?” The reactions are quite amusing (to say the least) when I mention my lack of smell. My family and close friends even forget sometimes. I, on the other hand, am reminded every day when I wake up smelling NOTHING…not even my morning breath. Below are some frequently asked questions.

Q: What is anosmia? 

A: Anosmia (an–oz-me-uh) is the loss of sense of smell, partial or total. I TOTALLY can’t smell right now.

Q: How do you get it?

A: There are so many causes of anosmia. Infections, head trauma, and sinus diseases are the most common.  Some people are even born without a sense of smell (congenital anosmia).

Q: How long have you been living with anosmia? 

A: 12 years. I can’t believe that it’s been over a decade.

Q: How did you lose your sense of smell? 

A: Your guess is as good as mine. I don’t know if an allergy caused it or if it’s my irritating nasal polyps. I remember having an allergic reaction after I took some Motrin in Spring 2007. My goodness, it was the worst experience ever! I was itching, breaking out in hives, and my skin was freaking burning. I got into the bath…I can’t remember if that was my own or my roommate’s brilliant idea. But she had to call 911. I was uncontrollably jumping and scratching my body. When the ambulance arrived, they kept asking me if I had taken something other than Motrin. That’s how bad my reaction was…like I’d been on some drugs or something. Trust me, I was just as confused as they were. Heck, I’m still confused. I’m not really sure if that caused my loss of smell. But I am aware that I have Aspirin sensitivity. Honestly, this is the most frustrating question to answer because I really don’t know how to explain my loss.

Q: What are nasal polyps? 

A: My definition of nasal polyps is annoying growths in my nose that cause congestion 24/7. But according to the Mayo Clinic, nasal polyps are soft, painless, noncancerous growths on the lining of your nasal passages or sinuses. They hang in the nose like teardrops or grapes. Now, just imagine a bunch of them.

Q: What are you allergic to? 

A: Below is the laundry list.

• Cat dander
• Tree and grass pollen
• Cockroaches
• Dust mites
• Ibuprofen (Motrin)
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• NyQuil
• Iodine contrast

I wear a medical ID tag for medication allergies.

Q: What were you doing when you lost your sense of smell? 

A: I was a sophomore studying film at Howard University.

Q: So, does it affect your taste? 

A: It most certainly does. My taste buds cannot be trusted. My brother tells me that I wouldn’t eat half the things I do if I could smell them. He’s right. One time when I was living in NY, I got my smell back for like two days and had just bought a new bottle of balsamic vinegar. I love salads with either balsamic vinegar or olive oil. I opened up that bottle and can guarantee you that a drop never hit my salad. The smell of vinegar is actually atrocious to me when I can smell it. But I love some Apple Cider Vinegar when I can’t.

Q: Do you put a lot of seasonings on your food? 

A: I sure do. I used to put so much salt on my food that I got High Blood Pressure. It’s gone now. Yes, it can be reversed. Yoga and diet, baby…whole other story. Back to the seasonings…I use a high amount of pepper, garlic, and paprika on just about everything. If you cook for me, there’s a 100% chance that I’m going to put one (or all) of them on it…It doesn’t matter what you already seasoned the food with. Like, I immediately season food with pepper without even tasting it. It’s all in the head!

Q: What about when you cook? 

A: My food tastes amazing to me. When I cook for others, I just hold my breath at times and wait for either a facial expression or someone to tell me how it tastes. When my brother says, “Rik…,” it’s always a winner. Most of the time, it’s either “good” or “too spicy.” I forgot to mention that I put paprika on almost everything too. But I’ve been told that my spaghetti, lasagna, salads, any potato-related dish (minus potato salad), french toast, and tacos are delicious. I can vouch for my potatoes-been cooking them since HS.

Q: How do you purchase fragrances and deodorants? 

A: I use someone else’s nose, go by the ingredients, or just look up reviews. Sometimes, I’ll research the top perfumes and have my mom or a friend sniff them at the stores (usually during the holidays). If the ingredients sound like they smell good, that’s good enough for me. I purchase a lot of fruity and floral body sprays. You can’t go wrong with fruit and flowers. Also, I wear non-fragrant deodorant (0_0) that I purchased after reading pretty good reviews. Guess, it’s working.

Q: How do you know whether you stink or not? 

A: I don’t. I just make sure that I wash, brush my teeth, and wear tons of smell-good stuff in my hair and on my body. I haven’t heard anyone complain. But I must say I love it when someone tells me I smell good cause I wonder sometimes.

Q: What do you miss smelling? 

A: Men’s cologne, perfume, body sprays, oils, babies, food, flowers, fresh laundry. Yes, in that order.

Q: What do you not miss smelling?

A: Poop, funk, trash, fish, crabs, bad breath, cigarettes, gas…anything unpleasant. I had a highly sensitive nose when I could smell.

Q: Will you ever permanently smell again?

A: I hope so. My doctor says it’s possible.

Q: You really can’t smell? 

A: No, really. If it were a joke, I wouldn’t be telling you about it right now.

Have a question? Let me know!