Sense of Smell an Early Sign of Alzheimer's

The other day my mother asked me what I was putting in my coffee. I told her cinnamon. This reminded me of a test I did with her several years ago. I asked her if she could smell things as I put them under her nose. She could not detect the odor on any of them. I did this after reading an article that indicated difficulty identifying common smells such as lemon, banana and cinnamon may be the first sign of Alzheimer’s disease. It dawned on me at that time this would be an interesting test for anyone worried about the early signs of Alzheimer's. I discussed this with our personal care physician and he did mention there could be some caveats. For example, he mentioned if you had polyps in your nose it could inhibit your sense of smell. If you decide to do the smell test, and after doing so you become worried, please be sure to discuss this with your doctor before you jump to any conclusion.

I do believe this is a useful test for older people and baby boomers. Early detection of memory decline is important as you age. On the other hand, if you pass the smell test with flying colors that is a good sign.

Original content the Alzheimer's Reading Room