Sense of smell

[jitteryladybug.livejournal.com]

Have any of you noticed that your sense of smell is greater or less sensitive depending on when you are in your cycle? Here's a snippet of an article I read for my Sensory Analysis class:

"Women have been found, on average, to possess a keener sense of smell than men, and this superiority has been shown to exist from the age of 4. Moreover, women retain their superior ability longer than men. Some studies have also shown that odor detection varies with the menstrual cycle, with maximum sensitivity at the time of ovulation and the lowest sensitivity during a woman's period."

From the article
"Identification of odors of edible and non-edible stimuli as affected by age and gender", 2008, Behavior Research Methods, 40(3):752-759

for those of you who enjoy source information. :)

I have found that my sense of smell varies and I seem to be more sensitive to certain smells at different times, but haven't correllated it to my estrous cycle. I thought it was interesting though, and thought I'd share. Thoughts or personal experiences greatly appreciated as comments.

Comments

[geminigirl]

I get it when progesterone levels spike-which means at the later part of my menstrual cycle and when I was pregnant. In fact, when I was pregnant with my daughter, before I had taken a pregnancy test, I was repulsed by the smell of some focaccia that my husband was eating for lunch because the smell of the tomatoes was so strong. It was much stronger during my pregnancy than other times, but there's a definite correlation between progesterone levels and smell.

[jitteryladybug.livejournal.com]

if you can sense what your SO has eaten and who he's seen today from his smell, I recommend that you get trained as a sensory panelist. You may be one of the individuals that we in the food industry wish we could put in our studies because you'd be way better than any other nose. A hypersensitive sense of smell in an individual such as yourself may prove invaluable as a wine panelist. Do you like wine? ;)

[mercy-rain.livejournal.com]

haven't correllated it to my estrous cycle.

Probably because humans don't have an estrous cycle ;)

[jitteryladybug.livejournal.com]

thanks for the correction, I wrote this between classes and that was Definitely a typo! my apologies!

[airenwoodmoon.livejournal.com]

I always thought I had a sensitive nose, and then I started HBC. I can smell everything now, and it really kinda sucks. Although I can notice perfume now which for some inexplicable reason I couldn't before.

So I have to wonder if it is a progesterone spike like a previous person said.

[jmnstars.livejournal.com]

Warning: this is a gross story, but I'm going to tell it anyway because it relates. :P I have ALWAYS had an awesome sense of smell, ever since I was a kid. Well, one day while I was young enough to still be living with my parents, I noticed a smell in the bathroom. It wasn't a normal "bathroom" smell if you know what I mean. It was a light smell, but it was still horrible. I told my mom that it smelled bad in the bathroom. She asked me what it smelled like and I told her, "Like something died in the bathroom." She went in there and smelled around but couldn't smell it and pretty much told me it was a normal bathroom smell. Well, the smell got worse and worse over the days until not only could she smell it, but everyone else in the house could smell it too - in every room as well. Turns out something DID die under the bathroom! A HUGE possum had crawled under the house and died.

Needless to say, after that my mom never doubted my sense of smell again. :P

And yes, I have found that even though my sense of smell is normally better then most everyone I know, it does get stronger during certain days of my cycle. Sometimes to the point of getting nauseous just because the smells are so strong. My boyfriend can't wear any colognes because they smell too strong to me. Even when I try to wear perfumes I can't because they are too strong. :P

[tacky-tramp.livejournal.com]

This is my mother's number-one PMS symptom. It drives the rest of the family completely insane. She'll be like OMG CHANGE THE CAT LITTER IMMEDIATELY IT STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN and we're like dude we just did.

[sarahness.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm pregnant and my sense of smell was SO sensitive during my first trimester. I still feel like my sense of smell is more sensitive than before I was pregnant, but either I got used to smelling more intensely, or it's not as strong as it was first trimester.

[gannet-guts.livejournal.com]

I already have a good sense of smell, but it seems to double when I have my periods. For some reason, newspapers and magazines especially, even if they're a room or two away smell really strongly to me, and make me feel physically ill.

[catiekat.livejournal.com]

omg, I love this kinda stuff. it's soooo fascinating! thanks for posting it!!

[jitteryladybug.livejournal.com]

your welcome! If you can access online article databases I recommend that article- in the introduction they also talk about how most women have a keener sense of smell on their left side, and women's brains (when they sense smells) use the left side of their brain predominantly, which they decided was the explanation of why women are slightly better at naming a smell- identifying it with the language parts of the left side of the brain. they were referencing a different study then, but I thought it was awesome and I kind of want to hunt down the source material for that citation, actually.

thanks for geeking out with me! :)

[poppleshatesyou.livejournal.com]

I haven't noticed a change during my cycle specifically, but when i went off HBC my sense of smell increased dramatically.

[nona-face.livejournal.com]

My sense of smell is definitely more sensitive during PMS, and they have a tendency to make me nauteous quite a lot as well.
I've always had an excellent sense of smell though. I can tell that food is two days before going bad just by the smell. Other people can't smell it and will eat just fine, but I can't.

[jitteryladybug.livejournal.com]

Thank you all for your fabulous comments! I'm glad to hear them all. For those of you who have really fabulous senses of smell, look at it as a blessing and not a curse. I know dozens of people who would give their left arm to have as keen of a nose as you- If you trained your nose to identify characters of the aromas of food and wines, you could easily be a panellist for various studies. It's fun! If you're interested in that sort of thing, I highly recommend seeing if there are any Universities nearby with food science or oenology programs that need people to participate in studies (and train panelists) because you'd all be very good at it, I'm sure!