Smell and Taste Loss In Alzheimer’s Disease
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Though few people know it, smell and taste loss may be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease. Taste loss is related to smell loss because smell plays an essential role in taste. Losing the sense of smell will cause taste loss in most cases.
Alzheimer’s disease was first discovered in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alzheimer, but did not become widely recognized until the 1970s. His pioneering work found plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain of his patient upon her autopsy.
Prior to his research and in the many years leading up to the ‘70s the same symptoms of mental decline were considered to be just normal aging and often called “senile dementia.”
The most common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are problems with memory, attention, language and problem solving. It seems to affect areas of the brain associated with higher mental functions first, but patients may notice increasing difficulty remembering the names of objects in the early phases as well. The illness progresses to the point where even basic brain functions no longer work which eventually leads to death.
Scientists believe there is a dysfunction in the normal ability of the brain to remove plaques and tangles, which then accumulate and interfere with brain functioning. Messages simply can no longer be transmitted between neurons. This may mean (in the case of smell) that smells are experienced but no longer responded to because of a malfunctioning of these neurons.
Recent research has found that as much as two years prior to the symptoms of memory impairment, the ability to detect certain smells is lost.
Early identification of this terrible disease is very important because the earlier it is treated, the longer its ravaging effects can be held off. Current treatments involve medications that at best, may slow this debilitating disease. Unfortunately, there is no single test to determine if you have Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It is a diagnosis given only after all other possible causes of dementia are ruled out.
Many people falsely assume that genetic testing will tell them if they will get AD. In most cases, this is simply not true. Only in the very early onset type of Alzheimer’s disease, can genetic testing tell you if you will develop AD. Early onset AD is uncommon so genetic testing is of little value in most cases.
For most people, genetic testing will only tell you the probability that you may get late onset AD. Probabilities should not be confused with any kind of certainty. This is because genetics interact with environment to determine ultimately whether any given individual will get AD. Put another way, some people are more likely than others to get AD because of their genetics, but they may still not ever actually come down with AD. Although your genetics may put you at risk for AD, it isn’t a certainty. Scientists do not know exactly which factors in the environment increase the likelihood that anyone with a genetic vulnerability will actually develop the disease.
Given the fact that Alzheimer’s is difficult to diagnose and will only get worse (even with treatment) it was exciting news that smell loss may well be a very early warning sign of AD. Experts have now developed a smell test just suspected cases of Alzheimer’s disease. Though this research is in its infancy, it is thought particular smells are uniquely lost in Alzheimer’s disease. The ten smells that are thought to be lost in the early phase of AD include: menthol, cloves, leather, soap, natural gas, lemon, pineapple, smoke, lilac and strawberry.
If you have any reason to worry about Alzheimer’s disease, testing should be conducted for smell and taste loss because most people with smell and taste loss do not realize they have it. In fact 90% of those with moderate to severe smell loss do not know they have lost their ability to smell, but testing reveals otherwise.
Remember, this is very new research and your doctor may not be aware of it. Be sure to see a doctor who specializes in smell and taste loss (an otolaryngologist) to rule out other possible causes of smell or taste loss. If no other cause can be found, see a doctor who specializes in Alzheimer’s disease – usually a neurologist or psychiatrist for a full evaluation. The last thing you or anyone you love should do is “avoid” seeking help because you fear the results of an evaluation. Remember – the earlier the treatment the better!
