The sense of smell is subtle and magical, it is not just a sweet messenger that wakes you up in the morning with the aroma of fresh coffee, nor is it just an aroma detective that makes you salivate at dinner, but it is also a hidden health warning master! The often-overlooked “nose detective” is inextricably linked to at least 139 different diseases, as if it were an invisible messenger of the body's internal health.

If one day you suddenly find yourself indifferent to the scent of your favourite flowers, or cooking in the kitchen has lost the attraction of delicious food, it is not just “nose” so simple. Scientists have studied these seemingly insignificant changes in the sense of smell and found that they may be early warning signals from the body, signalling a series of health problems that are approaching. Take Alzheimer's disease, the dreaded “memory thief” that steals our memories before it steals our memories, may first attack the sense of smell, making us unfamiliar with once-familiar smells. Cardiovascular disease, the invisible killer of health, may also affect our olfactory nerves silently, making the once sharp nose dull.

In many unknown corners of the world, loss of smell is a low-profile “health sentinel” that often stands out silently when the shadow of disease has not yet fully revealed its hideous face. It acts as an early warning, often sounding the alarm earlier than other obvious symptoms, and sometimes carrying out its mission in silence years in advance. If you feel that your sense of smell is not as sensitive as it used to be, but only think that it is just a temporary “nose strike”, you do not know that behind this may hide more complex health problems.

Smell is not only a barometer of physical health but also a subtle indicator of mental health. When the aroma that used to make us happy becomes tasteless, we not only have to be alert to diabetes, heart disease and other physical diseases approaching but also beware of depression anxiety and other mental health problems quietly breeding. If a person who used to love flowers and plants, suddenly found himself indifferent to the fragrance of the garden, as if the whole world had lost its colour. It's like a mirror that reflects the bleakness and indifference of the inner world. And the aroma of food that once made us salivate is now like chewing wax, which may hide behind a more complex physical illness.

Research suggests that an exercise called “olfactory enrichment” may be our shield against these health threats. Simply put, it involves exercising our olfactory nerves by constantly sniffing a variety of odours to keep them sharp and alive. Doesn't this sound a bit like an amazing olfactory adventure? You are in a mysterious space full of various scents, from fresh lemon to rich coffee, from fragrant flowers to tantalizing gourmet food, each smell is like a small treasure waiting to be discovered and explored. And every olfactory experience is like watering and fertilizing your healthy tree to make it grow stronger.

So when you realize that your sense of smell isn't as sharp as it used to be, think of it as a little physical reminder. After all, in a world full of unknowns, every detail may hide important information, and the loss of the sense of smell may be the mysterious key to unlocking the door to your health.

（Writer：Lany）