Effects on Relationships, Part 5

April 30, 2023

Effects on Relationships, Part 5

Distortions of sensory processing are disorienting and can be life altering.

Loss of sense of taste or smell

Franco, a 45-year-old chef, came in after a blow to the head caused him to lose both his sense of smell and taste. “Can you imagine what it is like for a chef to not be able to smell or taste? They’ve put me in charge of ordering the wine – somebody else has to taste it – because I can’t be trusted in the kitchen. I don’t blame them, but this is my life! My partner is fed up with me because I am too full of self-pity. Maybe I am. I don’t know what to do.”

Before a fender bender, Andre worked in a plant where chlorine is regularly used. “Can’t smell chlorine anymore. There was a leak – passed out. Hit my head on some pipes. Had to be rescued. Can’t work in that department anymore. Too dangerous. Gave me a dumb*** job. People tease me. Feel like a jerk.”

Exaggerated sense of smell

Alice explained to me that she and her husband were avid sports fishermen and they had built their 37-year marriage around their mutual interest in all things nautical. After slipping on ice and crashing backwards onto her concrete driveway, Alice noticed a pronounced change in her sense of smell. “Every vacation we’ve taken has been on our boat. I love the ocean and I love seafood. At least I did until now. The smell of seaweed and fish make me sick. And the weird part is, I smell it almost everywhere now, even when we’re nowhere near the beach. I can’t stand it and my husband is miserable.”

Luke described regaining consciousness in the hospital and smelling something noxious. “To tell the truth, I thought it was a Port-A-Potty. That chemical smell? It was overwhelming. I don’t smell that as strong now, but sometimes there are other smells. Just out of the blue, and never anything pleasant. Sometimes rotting flesh; sometimes sour milk. I’d give anything if I could just go out and enjoy an evening with my buddies, but my friends tease me about me sniffing and the faces I make. I try to control it, but it’s really hard.”

“I used to love my husband’s aftershave,” explained Lena. “It sort of turned me on. He’s had to quit wearing it because just a whiff of it gives me a splitting headache. I can’t get in an elevator for fear someone will have on perfume. Last summer, we flew across country to visit our daughter and her family, but the whole trip was a disaster for me because I kept smelling things that gave me knock-out headaches. Now I’m afraid of going out. I actually made my appointment with you because of your office’s scent-free policy.”

NEXT TIME: Tinnitus and emotional lability

Background info,, Case study

Brain injuries, depression, disrupted sleep, Distorted sense of smell, Exaggerated senses, Loss of sense of smell, Loss of sense of taste, Sense of smell & TBI, Sense of taste & TBI, splitting headaches, TBIs

Posted by:

Kayle Sandberg-Lewis, LMT, MA, BCN-Fellow

I have a master’s degree in Behavioral Medicine – an interdisciplinary concentration combining Health Psychology, Psychophysiology, Learning Theory and Curriculum Design. What it boils down to is the study of how our health is affected by our behavior and how to help people learn to modify that behavior to live healthier lives. Most of my work centers on maximizing brain performance through the use of applied psychophysiology including a variety of forms of neurofeedback or brainwave training. I’ve worked extensively with people of all ages, many of whom have had brain injuries. While there have been tremendous gains in understanding the brain, most lay people don’t understand the effects of neurological injuries. My goal in creating this blog is to share my insights from my education, people I have worked with, and my own experience because I too have experienced brain injuries.

disclaimer

This is a work of non-fiction depicting actual events in the life of the author, presented as truthfully as recollection permits. In order to protect the privacy of the very real people involved, names and other identifying characteristics have often been changed.

Information regarding health represents the opinions of the author and are not intended as medical advice. Consult your health care provider for individualized care.

My Life in Brain Injuries