How Well Do You Smell?

Knowing whether or not you smell good isn’t so tricky. As a rule of thumb, if humans display an obvious aversion to your armpits and dogs display an obvious interest in them, it may be time to break out the Mister Bubble. But knowing whether or not you smell well is another matter. As with vision and hearing, the sense of smell is subjective. With no point of reference, an individual is unable to perceive a decline in these senses.

Dr. Allen Seiden is part of a team currently testing the Olfactory Function Assessment with Computerized Testing machine (OLFACT), which objectively measures an individual’s ability to smell. The machine emits a scent through a tube beneath the patient’s nose then prompts him to identify the scent on a computer screen. “It’s basically plumbing, just blowing into the air are odorized vials that contain the odorant, and that contains all the different smells the patients have to smell,” says design specialist and OLFACT creator Lloyd Hastings.

The new machine, expected to be marketed soon for nationwide use, may prove every bit as valuable as those already in mainstream use for testing vision and hearing. Not only do we rely on our noses to enhance our sense of taste, to alert us to danger, and to keep our own hygiene habits up to par–there is mounting evidence that an impaired sense of smell is one of the earliest indicators of conditions such as Alzheimer disease and dementia, preceding motor symptoms by several years.