My Anosmia was a Nutty Experience

anosmia: n - loss of, or lack of, sense of smell 

It’s rather difficult to point-point exactly when my anosmic experience began. What I can say is that it was around the time our family moved from the Isle of Wight, in the UK, to Birkenhead, Wirral. Birkenhead is a town in the North-West of England, and displays most of the typical traits of that kind of environment. Higher than average cardio-pulmonary disease, crime, poverty and other inner-city afflictions.

 About 18 months after moving I began to notice that my sense of smell was diminishing, and simply put this down to the change from sea-air to city air. I also developed an intermittent nagging cough. I talked to my new GP about this. He asked where had we recently moved from, and I replied, ‘the Isle of Wight’. He suggested we should perhaps, move back there. Clearly, he was well acquainted with the local, endemic health issue of where we now lived.

 Eventually my sense of smell vanished completely. I didn't bother taking this development back to my GP. However, If we went on holiday, and we always tried to go somewhere near good surfing beaches and good sea, after a couple of days, I found my sense of smell returned. As good as new, as it were. I logically put this done to the transition from, bad air, to, good air. Because within 2 days of going home, back came the anosmia.

This was a pattern that pretty much continued over the years until, about 5 years ago, when the wonders of the British seaside no longer had any effect and my sense of smell seemed now to be permanent. But during this time, for unfathomable reasons, on odd occasions, I would wake to discover, out of the blue, my sense of smell had returned. Alas, at best, it would be for a few hours, or perhaps a day, and then it vanished again. Confusing.

Two years ago, we moved again, not far from Birkenhead, to a corner of Wirral called, New Brighton. A seaside resort which, over the previous 30 years, had fallen on hard times, as many UK seaside resorts had done. It had though, had an investment stimulated re-birth, and was becoming quite a desirable place to live. One morning, I walked outside to my car, and could smell wood-smoke, and all that day my sense of smell had, once more mysteriously return. It stayed for two whole days before bidding goodbye again. While it was back, I was able to walk into our staff room at work, and tell who was eating soup, what flavour the soup was, smell someone walking by with a coffee, etc. I was, by this time, resigned to the mysteries of the random, and un-heralded. return of my 5th sense.

In September, this year, we went on holiday again, not too close to the sea, but to Northumberland with the intent of visiting, Lindisfarne (Holy Island). Within 2 days of arriving my sense of smell had returned. It was a nice surprise, but I figured it wouldn't last. 4 days in, and it hadn't vanished. Now whilst I wasn't thinking about it in any great depth, my brain was obviously ticking over: what was causing this? what had changed just coming on holiday? What is different? So in something of a ‘light bulb’ moment, in the middle of a fairly interesting TV programme, my brain metaphorically tapped me on the shoulder and whispered in my ear, ‘Peanuts’. Now I eat mixed nuts, almost daily, and have done for years. Biggest ingredient in most packs of mixed nuts? Peanuts. Thinking about this, I was puzzled because, in my ignorance, I imagined the Peanut problems meant extreme allergic reactions possibly leading to death.

Could Peanuts be responsible?

One way to find out. I bought some peanuts the next morning, ate them (and, sadly, enjoyed them) and by the next day my sense of smell had gone. It took a day to come back. Since then I have not eaten a single Peanut. And what of my sense of smell? Still going strong as I write this (early December 2014). An added bonus is that I can also breath very much better through my nose than I have done for years. I imagine that an ENT specialist would have a good explanation for all this, but for me the Peanut connection is very clear.

So, if you have anosmia, and eat peanuts, think about it. Peanuts took my sense of smell away, and maybe they have had the same effect on you.

Finally, most mornings when I get up, I go into the kitchen to make breakfast for my wife, unscrew the top of the Ginger Preserve jar and have a good sniff. Very pleasing indeed!

(C) David A. W. Peddie 2014