• Welcome to Autism Forums, a friendly forum to discuss Aspergers Syndrome, Autism, High Functioning Autism and related conditions.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Private Member only forums for more serious discussions that you may wish to not have guests or search engines access to.
    • Your very own blog. Write about anything you like on your own individual blog.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon! Please also check us out @ https://www.twitter.com/aspiescentral

Hyposensitive to smell and therefore less sensitive to taste too?

Southern Discomfort

Southern Discomfort

Smarter than the Average Bear
V.I.P Member
I've thought for a while that I'm hyposensitive to my olfactory sense (smell), there have been quite a few times where I just can't smell anything. It doesn't stop me from smelling thing all the time though but I do seek out smells - even horrible ones. But anyway, assuming I have hyposensitive to that, do you people think I would also be hyposensitive to taste to some degree? There have been times where I can have something like jam on my tongue and I can't taste it all the time, only feel it. I like really sweet things; I drink just squash really outside of hot drinks and I also put plenty of juice into my glass to really over do it. I also like sour sweets. However I really can't do hot food, I'm quite sensitive to hot food. So I'm left a bit confused.

What do you think is going on here? Or if there is anything irregular here at all! Answers on a postcard.
 
Interesting, your being hyposensitive. Cannot relate to that at all, but I can see how it could be advantageous.

If anything in my own case, I've always been hypersensitive to taste and smell since birth. Labeled as a "picky eater" and made fun of by my parents because I had to smell everything before even considering eating it as a child.

Though I enjoy some spicy foods...my reflux often keeps that in check. But cigarette smoke is the worst thing for my senses, often invoking a flight or fight response. I don't like substances like ammonia or chlorine bleach, but can tolerate them along with many other unpleasant odors. Oddly enough I've dealt with acetone fumes for decades, used in cleaning an airbrush I use for hobby purposes. And then of course I have allergies and hay fever issues.

I often think of my own metabolism as being "ratcheted up" far beyond what it should be and in so many ways. I assume my autism has much to do with it. :eek:
 
Last edited:
I got called a picky eater a lot too. But I think for me it was the texture, certain things can make me retch. And things like bacon fat is a no go unless crispy.

But if it doesn't have a strong taste I don't want to know, mostly I think.
 
Southern Discomfort said:
I got called a picky eater a lot too. But I think for me it was the texture, certain things can make me retch. And things like bacon fat is a no go unless crispy.

But if it doesn't have a strong taste I don't want to know, mostly I think.
Click to expand...

Oh my. I can't stand animal fat or grease at all in terms of taste. Nor in terms of having reflux. :eek:

Y'all should see how I strain the grease out of hamburger- and turkey bacon!
 
sounds like youve got thyroid problems and your gi tract is sensitized to pain
your thyroid because your metabolic rate is unbalanced
and common to have thyroid problems also lacking maybe vit b
 
Streetwise said:
sounds like youve got thyroid problems and your gi tract is sensitized to pain
your thyroid because your metabolic rate is unbalanced
and common to have thyroid problems also lacking maybe vit b
Click to expand...

No, I simply have Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. As did my mother.

Diagnosed years ago by a gastroenterologist.
 
I can se the advantages and disadvantages of low smelling sensitive. I'm the other way and I am super sensitive to smell.
 
Southern Discomfort said:
I've thought for a while that I'm hyposensitive to my olfactory sense (smell), there have been quite a few times where I just can't smell anything. It doesn't stop me from smelling thing all the time though but I do seek out smells - even horrible ones. But anyway, assuming I have hyposensitive to that, do you people think I would also be hyposensitive to taste to some degree? There have been times where I can have something like jam on my tongue and I can't taste it all the time, only feel it. I like really sweet things; I drink just squash really outside of hot drinks and I also put plenty of juice into my glass to really over do it. I also like sour sweets. However I really can't do hot food, I'm quite sensitive to hot food. So I'm left a bit confused.

What do you think is going on here? Or if there is anything irregular here at all! Answers on a postcard.
Click to expand...
I agree with you. I have often felt that way too, nobody really ever believed me tho. I always tell people that I don't smell right.
 
I have often found that things smell far better than they taste. There are many things I can't smell at all, and some things that appear to smell much more pleasant to me than others.

I am almost "calmed" by the scent of fruit or food -- imagine my wonderful delight when I found "Hot Buttered Popcorn" scented candles!!

Most "fragrances" and "aromas" of ordinary "fresh scent" or "aromatic" things (or even most colognes/perfumes) are repugnant to me, although I can tolerate "some" male cologne (on others).

I attended a scientific lecture recently (which was far over my head) but when I was able to glean from it (it was very interesting) was that there are neurons in our olfactory (nose?) that "magically" also appear in a certain center of the brain.

The apparent hypothesis was that some people with disorders that stunt or block puberty/sexuality have also been found to have completely or partially impaired senses of smell.

It made me curious about my own issues, since the only two *stimuli* to give (me) what I call "full body" intensity, are music and food. People tell me that my entire body language and expression changes when I'm speaking about or eating food.

"Full body" is not a sexual response. For instance, the sound of someone's voice (if pleasant) can create a tingle in my foot. A baby's laughter (or describing cheesecake) will make my knees weak. An intense (or moving) song can cause me to cry -- not from sadness, but from the sensory overload from my fingers to my toes (and head).

"The senses of taste and smell are very closely related. Most people who go to the doctor because they think they have lost their sense of taste are surprised to learn that they have a smell disorder instead. To learn more about your sense of smell, read the NIDCD publication, Smell Disorders."

Hope this helps! Taste Disorders
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New Threads

Top Bottom