Medically known as
This heightened sense of smell is called hyperosmia. It can happen consistently or during certain periods of time. If it comes and goes, it may be a sign of an underlying medical condition.
“Hyperosmia is a heightened or increased sense of smell,” explains ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialist and rhinologist Raj Sindwani, MD. People can experience it all the time or occasionally. And while hyperosmia doesn't always require treatment, it can signal an underlying health issue that does.
Your body odor can change due to hormones, the food you eat, infection, medications or underlying conditions like diabetes. Prescription-strength antiperspirants or medications may help.
Hyperglycemia and Diabetes
High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) is common in people with undiagnosed diabetes or poorly controlled diabetes. High levels of sugar (glucose) in the urine can make it smell sweet or like fruity cereal. 1 There are also other signs of high blood sugar, including: Excessive thirst.
Desiderosmia (Craving of Olfaction): A Novel Symptom Associated with Iron Deficiency Anemia.
The new study shows ghrelin, made mainly in the stomach, binds to molecules in the brain's olfactory bulb, suggesting the hormone is directly involved in odor processing.
When these chemicals enter the body they release dopamine and can cause a euphoric effect (in addition to raising the risk of cancer, neurological problems, and respiratory disease). So these smells may be appealing or even addictive in a similar way to opiates, which also release dopamine.
For some, it smells sweet, like flowers or vanilla; to others it is foul, like sweat or urine. And then there are those who can't smell it at all.
Pheromones are produced by sweat. For example, a man's sweat can alter levels of their human sex pheromone. If you are sweating, pheromones might be present on your skin and in your hair. Exercising also rids your body of toxins, and when your pores are clearer, the pheromones you produce may be stronger.
There's a real possibility that the gene that helps you experience their heavenly fragrance may also help you feel the prick of their thorns. Researchers from SMU (Southern Methodist University) have determined that a gene linked to feeling touch may moonlight as an olfactory gene.
Turns out, it may all come down to the way we smell. Humans, explains Dr. Claus Wedekind of the University of Bern, have been genetically programmed to discern—from smell alone—whether potential partners may be closely related to them, and reject or accept them on this basis.
Do certain smells make you feel uncomfortable, even nauseous? Is your nose so good that you can detect even the subtlest aromas in your favourite wine? Perhaps certain smells evoke negative or positive feelings? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might just be a “super smeller”.
Menstrual cycle. Sometimes, a fishy vaginal odor crops up just before the start of your period, due to changing bacteria and acidity levels. During menstruation, the blood (which has an elevated pH) and uterine lining mix with vaginal microflora, subtly altering the smell.
Summary. High estrogen levels can cause symptoms such as irregular or heavy periods, weight gain, fatigue, and fibroids in females. In males, they can cause breast tissue growth, erectile dysfunction, and infertility.
The neurological explanation of fragrance addiction could be that individuals experience a higher secretion of dopamine when they use a fragrance, and thus they eventually get addicted to the fragrance. There are certain fragrances like those of wet earth, coffee, gasoline, or glue that are addictive by nature.
Gasoline, coffee, glue or wet earth, these addictive smells obsess us. They have the power to send us back to distant memories. If these so particular perfumes matter to us, it is because they possess an emotional power rather extraordinary.
Scents send signals to our limbic system, which is the sector of the brain that controls memory and emotion. According to a 2011 study conducted by Masahiro et al, positive emotions, which can be elicited by certain fragrances have been proven to lower stress levels and improve overall mental outlook.
Groin sweat contains fatty acids and proteins which feed bacteria. As the bacteria break down the nutrients in groin sweat, foul-smelling acids are left behind.
We've adapted to like our own odors, to help us maintain proper hygiene. We wouldn't be able to take care of our own bodies if we were repulsed by them. Our own farts become familiar to us so we can maintain a higher level of well-being. So, don't worry.
Your receptors in your nose are malfunctioning. This sometimes happens when certain chemicals bind to your receptors and cause them to continually fire off causing you to smell something that is not actually there.
University of Kent research suggests that men can distinguish between the scents of sexually aroused and non-aroused women. The detection of sexual arousal through smell may function as an additional channel in the communication of sexual interest and provide further verification of human sexual interest.
Men love it when women smell good. We notice it and think “WOW, she smells great.” It is attractive to us because not only does it smell good it shows us the woman looks after her hygiene. That is what we think.
In analyzing the body odors of 20 pairs of friends who mutually agreed that they “just clicked” when they met, the researchers found that the smells of each pair were significantly more similar to each other than they were to random others.