How does losing your sense of smell affect your health- The latest international research says it may be related to changes in breathing patterns

In a recent study published in the journal Nature Communications, affiliated with Springer Nature, researchers have revealed that individuals without a sense of smell exhibit distinct breathing patterns compared to those who can smell. This finding may help explain why some people who lose their sense of smell experience various health issues.

The paper discusses how anosmia, the loss of smell, is frequently linked to depression, social withdrawal, and emotional blunting, which refers to a reduced emotional response. Additionally, research indicates that anosmia is associated with a shortened life expectancy compared to individuals with normal olfactory function.

Co-authors of the study from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, Lior Gorodisky and Noam Sobel, among others, propose a hypothesis that the changes in breathing patterns observed may be tied to the loss of smell.

In this study, the authors conducted a continuous 24-hour observation of 21 individuals with a sense of smell and 31 without. They utilized a device to measure nasal airflow to monitor the participants’ breathing patterns. Although all subjects overall breathed at the same rate, those with a sense of smell displayed small peaks in inhalation during each breath, accumulating approximately 240 additional peaks per hour.

Interestingly, these extra inhalation peaks did not occur when participants were in an odorless room, suggesting a relationship between this breathing behavior and their sense of smell, potentially indicative of exploratory sniffing. Conversely, participants with anosmia did not exhibit such exploratory behavior, and their overall breathing patterns showed notable changes both while awake and asleep.

The authors were able to predict which participants had a sense of smell based solely on their breathing patterns, achieving an accuracy rate of 83%. They highlight that these changes in breathing patterns among individuals with anosmia may lead to altered brain activity, which could be related to some of the psychological and physiological health issues observed in this population, particularly depression and anxiety.

In conclusion, the study emphasizes how the sense of smell influences human breathing patterns, potentially leading to some of the negative health outcomes seen in individuals with anosmia.