“Nose blindness,” a phenomenon that helps us ignore familiar odors, could be why we may not always detect our own bad breath.
Our sense of smell is adapted to filter out constant odors like personal fragrances or deodorants. This process involves olfactory sensory neurons, which transmit scent information to the brain. However, these neurons can become desensitized to persistent smells. According to Dr. Erich P. Voigt, chief of general and sleep otolaryngology at NYU Langone Health, when neurons are overwhelmed by a strong or continuous odor, they stop responding. This mechanism is essential for detecting new scents in the environment.
While individuals can usually detect temporary bad breath from recent meals, chronic bad breath due to conditions like dental issues, sinus infections, or gastrointestinal problems might become less noticeable over time. Dr. Voigt explains that persistent odors from medical issues can lead to a decreased sensitivity to these smells.
Dr. Jennifer Douglas, a rhinologist and assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania, notes that taking breaks from constant odors allows the olfactory system to reset, potentially restoring the ability to detect the smell again.
It’s important to differentiate olfactory adaptation from smell disorders such as hyposmia, which is a reduced sense of smell, or anosmia, the complete loss of smell. These disorders are usually linked to illnesses or injuries.
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