It's not only scents which are missing for people with anosmia. Food and drink lose their appeal too, because smell accounts for around 80% of our sense of flavour. They can't taste herbs, spices or garlic and fruit and wine simply taste sour.
Anosmia can also be dangerous. People with anosmia can get food poisoning, because they can't smell when food is bad. They can't smell smoke from a house fire, or leaking gas. Sarah Page is a patient at the new taste and smell clinic. She once turned the gas cooker on by mistake. Unable to smell it, Sarah was unaware that the house was filling with gas, which could have exploded at any time. It was some time before her mother came home and realised the problem.
Sarah is going to have an operation to treat her condition in the next few months. If it's successful, she says that what she wants most isn't to avoid danger. She would like to share the olfactory world of other people, including the bad smells. Sarah says, "People go 'Oh, that stinks' - I want to be able to understand why that's a bad smell and join in with that conversation."
Quiz 測驗 How many people are anosmic in the UK?
Around 3 million
Which phrase is used to mean 'born without a sense of smell'?
Congenitally anosmic
Why don't anosmic people enjoy wine?
It tastes sour/because 80% of flavour is smell
Why do anosmic people get food poisoning?
They can't smell when food is off/bad
What kind of treatment is Sarah Page going to have at the clinic?
An operation
Glossary 词汇表 detect發現，檢測 sense of smell嗅覺 follow our noses跟著鼻子走 wake up and smell the coffee!（比喻）認清事實 something smells fishy（比喻）什麼事情有貓膩 she has a nose for a bargain（比喻）某人特別會找價廉物美的東西 idioms 成語 telling判斷 off（食品）壞了，餿了 head injury頭部創傷 depressed沮喪，失落 scents 氣味 food poisoning食物中毒 leaking gas 煤氣洩漏 patient 病人 operation 手術 treat her condition 治療她的病症 olfactory 嗅覺 go說 stinks 臭
