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

[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