The otorhinolaryngologist spoke about the effect of odors on memory, emotions and diseases

On Sunday, April 27, the world celebrates the day of the sense of smell, one of the most important human senses that has helped people survive and find partners since ancient times. Guy Lebedev, an otorhinolaryngologist and graduate student at the Department of Ear, Throat and Nose Diseases at the N.V. Sklifosovsky Institute of Clinical Medicine at Sechenov University, told Izvestia why odors affect memory and emotions, what tuberculosis and diphtheria smell like, what mental disorders can be encountered if you lose your sense of smell, and how to diagnose disorders. sense of smell and cure them.

According to the expert, smells really help to choose a partner in terms of genetic compatibility. According to the conducted research, people intuitively prefer the smells of those who have differences with them in the genes of the main histocompatibility complex.

"This may be due to an evolutionary mechanism aimed at increasing the immune diversity of offspring, which contributes to their survival. Therefore, if the smell of a potential partner seems unpleasant, it may indicate a potential incompatibility," Lebedeva said.

Odors often have a stronger effect on emotions and memory than other stimuli and can evoke vivid, emotionally intense memories even decades later.

"This is due to the fact that the centers responsible for memory and emotions, such as the hippocampus and the amygdala, are located in the limbic system of the brain. This system is closely related to olfactory structures, so the smell can instantly trigger a chain reaction of memories and even physiological reactions: the pulse rate increases, blood pressure changes, hormones are released," said the otorhinolaryngologist.

This feature can be used in therapy as a tool for processing traumatic experiences in post-traumatic stress disorder. So, if some fragrance causes disturbing emotions, under the supervision of a specialist, you can try to change the associations associated with it, and thereby reduce the negative impact.

"Also, working with olfactory stimuli can be useful in combating the symptoms of dementia. The idea is to activate the connections between emotions and memory through familiar smells. This can help people with cognitive impairments regain access to memories. It is important to understand that such aromatherapy is rather an auxiliary method. So far, it does not have a sufficient evidence base to be able to confidently recommend it for certain disorders. But among the additional measures, why not," Lebedeva said.

In the past, doctors used the smell coming from a patient as one of the criteria for making a diagnosis. Currently, there is no such need, however, it happens that some smells coming from a person can alert him and make him consult a doctor. The most famous of these examples is the smell of acetone. It may indicate that a person is developing diabetes, especially if it is a decompensated course of the disease.

"The smell is caused by the accumulation of ketones in the body, byproducts of fat metabolism, and acetone is one of them. A similar effect can occur with so—called keto diets, when a person does not consume enough carbohydrates — the body begins to use fats as the main source of energy, which leads to the formation of ketone bodies," the expert said.

Diabetes may also be associated with a smell reminiscent of sour apples, which indicates hypoglycemic conditions. The smell of vinegar coming from a person may be associated with tuberculosis, and the smell of spoiled meat may be associated with the decay of cancerous tumors.

"The smell of fish, including coming from the skin, can signal metabolic disorders or changes in the composition of the microflora. With diphtheria, a specific putrid, sweet odor may appear. Of course, many diseases can be noticed by their more obvious symptoms. But the appearance of an uncharacteristic odor from the mouth or from the body is a good reason to consult a specialist," Lebedeva concluded.

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On April 5, Sabit Aliyev, a dental surgeon and chief physician of the Russian Dental Implantation Center Dental Clinic network, told Izvestia that bad breath in 80-90% of cases is associated with dental problems. However, sometimes this indicates diseases of the ENT organs or problems with the gastrointestinal tract. More than 60% of cases are associated with anaerobic bacteria on the back of the tongue that secrete volatile sulfur compounds, such as plaque or tartar.