“You think of it as an aesthetic bonus sense,” Dr. Datta said. “But when someone is denied their sense of smell, it changes the way they perceive the environment and their place in the environment. I can’t smell my house and feel at home. I can’t smell fresh air or grass when I go out. I can’t smell the rain.”Loss of smell is a risk factor for anxiety and depression, so the implications of widespread anosmia deeply trouble mental health experts.

Source: New York Times January 02, 2021 15:22 UTC