How it feels to lose your sense of smell and taste

My life is now more black and white. All of the wonderful colours have been lost"


What's your favourite smell? Perhaps it's a comforting waft of newly-washed clothes. You may adore the aroma of freshly-made coffee first thing in the morning or a spritz of your go-to perfume before a fun-filled evening. Now imagine not being able smell these again, along with the thoughts and feelings that one scent can conjure.

It is the flavours of Italian cooking that James Martin misses the most.


James, 65, a school teacher from Aberdeen, is one of an estimated 5% of people in the UK with impaired olfactory ability.

Loss of smell can be partial, complete, come suddenly or occur over time.


James, 65, a school teacher from Aberdeen, is one of an estimated 5% of people in the UK with impaired olfactory ability.

Loss of smell can be partial, complete, come suddenly or occur over time.


"My best guess is the loss occurred in the 1990s. Now, food is merely an energy source with no enjoyment. My maternal grandfather was Italian, and I was brought up in an extended family with many opportunities to indulge myself. I have been to Italy many times and the lack of smell and taste is a huge loss."

James's condition impinges on all aspects of his life. "My hobby is Classic Cars but I have lost a great deal of the enjoyment. For example, I cannot smell any of the interiors of my cars. Also, diagnosing faults through smells such as engine oil, exhaust gas, burning clutch are now impossible. I cannot smell my garage space which is full of polish, paint, fabrics, volatile liquids.

"I miss the smells of old books, new magazines, wet soil after a rain shower, mountain breeze, seaside, forest, flowers, street smells in Italy, baking bread, hot bitumen, country smells, coffee, and my wife's hair and perfume.

"All of this is gone. It's very depressing if I dwell on it."

Smell is also used to warn of danger. James can no longer smell gas, volatile liquids, exhaust gasses, smouldering, burning, or rancid food.

When it comes to hygiene he relies on his wife, Elizabeth, to check his clothing, adding: "I am meticulous with personal hygiene."



Smell loss can be permanent, although not always. Some experts recommend 'smell training' — repeated short-term exposure to odours, which may help people make the most of whatever remaining olfactory ability they possess. Research has found certain brain areas are stimulated when detecting and imagining particular scents, and suggests smell training might benefit those who have lost their sense of smell as a result of a virus.

In April 2017, a study from the University of East Anglia and the Smell and Taste Clinic at James Paget Hospital, Norfolk, was published in the journal Clinical Otolaryngology. It found sodium citrate (in the form of a nasal spray) may offer temporary improvement in the ability for people affected by post-viral olfactory loss or other non-obstructive causes.

Calcium plays a role in 'turning down' the sense of smell - a bit like a volume control. Sodium citrate 'binds' with calcium molecules, and stops them acting in this way. It provides a glint of hope.


Further research will be required before this can be translated into something that can be made widely available," says Duncan Boak, founder of Fifth Sense, the charity for people affected by smell and taste disorders.

Duncan encourages people to seek help for smell loss, but warns of a lack of understanding about the debilitating nature of the condition — an attitude that he says even pertains amongst doctors.

"They are generally dismissive. Patients are used to being told that nothing can be done, which isn't necessarily the case. There is a huge lack of awareness of the impact of such conditions."

He adds: "We have five senses that connect us to the world around us. They are all equally important, they just work in very different ways. We have to move away from this situation where smell is seen as a handy accessory rather than what it is - a vital component of our experience of life."

James came across the charity via an internet search. "It has been extremely helpful to discuss all the issues with people who understand how bad this is.

"I have learned to live with my loss of smell and taste but it is not pleasant. I am constantly reminded that my life is now more black and white. All of the wonderful colours have been lost. Smell and taste are not immediately recognised as important senses but I see their loss as a disability which requires a coping strategy."

James has now made an appointment to see his GP for an ENT referral.

"I hope to undertake some smell and taste tests, and possibly a scan. I remain confident as the memories of smells and tastes are all hard wired in my brain. We simply have to re-set the trigger mechanism. This may not be possible, but I remain optimistic."