I was delighted to read Emine Saner’s article about Tasha Marks and her work creating scents that tell stories, highlighting the deep connection between smells, memory and emotion (‘There’s otter poo, dragon poo …’ The woman who can make you smell everything, from hell to your grandparents, 4 September). I lost my sense of smell in 2005 following a head injury. Prior to my accident, I had taken my ability to smell for granted and had little understanding of its contribution to my quality of life.
I found support and recognition from some medical professionals and the public lacking, so I got together with Prof Carl Philpott to establish Fifth Sense, a charity for people affected by smell and taste disorders.
With research suggesting that as much as 5% of the UK population may be affected by anosmia, the inability to detect odours, there remains an urgent need to raise awareness of the impact that a lost or distorted sense of smell has on our health, wellbeing and safety.
Our sense of smell plays a significant part in enjoyable life experiences. Imagine standing on a beach unable to smell the sea, or walking through a garden unable to smell the flowers and grass. That important sentimental pathway is missing. Imagine too that you are unable to smell your children or your partner or your favourite food. These experiences cause a disconnection from the world, intensifying feelings of isolation and potentially leading to depression and anxiety.
A smell disorder can also compromise safety as people may be unable to detect gas, smoke, spoiled food and drink, and other potentially dangerous odours.
My wish is for policymakers and the NHS to better understand the significance of smell and taste disorders and for more research to be done to benefit those affected.
Duncan Boak
Chief executive and founder, Fifth Sense
Some years ago, working in the gas industry, support staff to scientists were volunteered to assist with the ongoing research and maintenance of putting a smell into natural gas. Once in the zinc-lined chamber, odorant was pumped through and our role was to sniff and note its strength on a chart while other smells were added. These ranged from boiling cabbage to the particularly sickening artificial lavender of the recently in-vogue room air fresheners. To this day, I pride myself on the early detection of gas leaks.
Susan Baillie
Weymouth, Dorset
