A loss of smell could be an indicator that a person is suffering from poor mental health, according to new research and it could be time for them to receive help
People have been warned of a sign that they could be suffering from depression from their ability to smell and it could be time to get help.
Recent research has found that a person’s loss of smell has been linked to illnesses including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. And now a study suggests that a poor sense of smell is also an indicator of depression.
“Most people go through periods of feeling down, but when you’re depressed you feel persistently sad for weeks or months, rather than just a few days,” states the NHS. “Depression is more than simply feeling unhappy or fed up for a few days.”
Research carried out by scientists at John Hopkins Medicine, in the US, has found that the worse the ability to smell, then generally the poorer is the person’s mental health. While a loss of smell doesn’t cause depression, it can be a “potent indicator” of somebody being in a depressed state.