Losing my sense of smell was my first symptom of PD, although I didn’t know it!

Looking back, years before there was any sign of a tremor, I recall noticing that I was losing my ability to smell. It certainly didn’t happen overnight, but every now and then, someone would say;

“Ewww what’s that smell?” or “Mmmm that smells good.”

And I would try to smell…and there would just be nothing?

I never thought anything of it. Now I know that it is one of the most common early symptoms among many people with Parkinson’s Disease.

It’s called Hyposmia (lessened sensitivity to odors) and it usually appears a few years before other symptoms. There is no treatment for it. And because smell is so closely connected to taste, it can affect your diet and lead to weight loss which could be problematic.

But when it comes to bad smells… I am so lucky!

When the odor of a skunk filters through the yard; I am so lucky!

When someone passes by me smoking a cigarette; I am so lucky!

When someone passes gas (I won’t name names); I am so lucky!

Let’s face it – there are a lot of unpleasant odours out there that I certainly don’t miss!

The only time I truly miss it is when someone points out how wonderful something smells and I realize I can’t experience the same feeling of joy. Flowers, puppy breath, fresh baked cookies, the salty air at the beach, a pine tree, a campfire, babies, etc.

But the brain is a wonderful thing and I believe that every now and then, my eyes fill in the gaps for my nose. My eyes have created ‘smell’ memories and when I see lilacs or roses, I can somehow retrieve the memory of how beautiful they smell. Doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does I enjoy it!