“I have a really acute sense of smell”

[INXS]

I know it’s not something anyone can do anything about. But whenever I hear a statement like the one in the title, it sort of sounds like the person with the nose like a bloodhound is secretly quite proud of their extra special abilities to detect cigarette smoke from one hundred paces, or the smell of someone else’s unwashed bra.

But I don’t like the idea of people who are, unbeknownst to us norms, secretly revolted by everyone around them. That they know that I ate a curry last night, and are resentful that I was so rude as to eat something with spices the day before going out in public (I actually read that on here). That my house stinks to them, or that they have to scrub their house after I’ve been to visit.

AIBU to dislike the idea of someone else having a supernatural sense of smell?! It makes me not want to be around them!

On illness - well, cold-type illness - I can smell it once symptoms are present, the breath smells like mucous. So I’m guessing it’s something like that?

Yes sort of... I think everyone has a different ill smell. I can put the DC to bed (and they’re perfectly happy/healthy/not complaining of anything) and know that they’re going to be ill by the morning, just because the ill smell has appeared before the symptoms have.

Parkinsons can definitely be smelled years before symptoms manifest. Dogs can smell cancer in people. Longer list here.

I have phases when I can smell very well although mostly have bad sense of smell. The world is a stinky place, I suddenly find out.

“I can't smell myself so for all i know i stink like a battered haddock.”

Haha mrsharrison

Ill smell likes a sweetish smell with undertones of some sort of garlic/onion to it. I don't fine it unpleasant per se but simply unpleasant because it means the person is unwell so has negative connotations (and I generally have a normal immune system so not particularly worried about getting ill myself). I can detect it on someone - particularly DH whose breath is the one I get closest to obviously - before they have symptoms, so it's not because they have been consuming sugary lozenges or cough mixture or chicken soup (have thought about it).

Do catch up olive, it’s quite an interesting thread if you care to read it.

I have an extremely good sense of smell (and highly acute hearing but bad eyesight) DH doesn't but (sorry if tmi) wonders how I survive the smell of my own darts as they can be near lethal . Also, ill people (and animals)definitely smell different. The nearest I can get to describing it is sort of sour. And yes I can smell periods too and when people I know have been in a room before me at work. But I would never say anything to people!
The only time it's ever really useful is when I track down mice nests in cupboards with my supernose and call maintenance to deal with it.

I can smell when members of my family are coming down with a cold/bug, even before their symptoms emerge. But that’s normal, right?

I can too. Sometimes different illnesses smell different too. I can also smell if someone is on their periods and I could smell my friends BV also (I obviously didn't say anything!). I can smell when someone has had sex too.
Most smells don't bother me except I hate coffee breath.

When I was pregnant, my sense of smell was ridiculously strong, it was horrible.

I would never comment on a person smelling though as that's rude.

I can definitely smell if DP or DCs are ill. Or if they're dehydrated, or if they haven't eaten for too long.

I think i know which threat you're on about and it really wound me up too! You dont like a smell..move away its your problem not the other persons.

It's quite an interesting thread.

It's really not.

And I am quite entitled to say it's a stupid thing to get annoyed about.

Especially when it is.

Not everyone's OPINIONS are going to suit your ears and eyes dear.

Olive, if you don't find the thread interesting, you surely know exactly what to do...

I have a strong sense of smell but I don't tell many people for the very reason you give OP. I don't go around trying to smell things and people all the time - it's really annoying when you're short and take the tube a lot. BO doesn't necessarily bother me though - what does is bad breath and people who haven't wiped properly after a shit (I'm looking at you, man with grey hair, Barbour coat and suit trousers on the Northern line this morning).

My line manager has a supernatural sense of smell - he can walk into the office and know as soon as he steps into the foyer who isn't in today without even looking because he says the office smells different

I'm like that (no, I'm not your line manager). Actually I wouldn't say I can figure out who is absent, but I can definitely tell who is in. I could definitely identify everyone in my office (about 15 people) from smell, probably just from smelling their desk or their lab coat.

Wow olive take a chill pill. I can smell your anger over the internet!

@ColonelJackONeil - I'm going to start wearing one of those Xmas tree car fresheners round my neck at work. It will look very Christmassy.

You do realise that just means you'll smell the same as usual except with the bleuch addition of fake pine that will never go away?

Dammit! Does this mean I have to move my yearly bath forward?

I have this. It isn't always nice! My hearing is pretty awesome too. My eyesight is shit.

@ColonelJackONeil - Dammit! Does this mean I have to move my yearly bath forward?

Don't worry. A lick and a promise will sort you until the spring.

I have this too, but I also smell lots of nice things before anyone else, or stronger than others, so it cancels out the bad :)

Letme explain how message forums work my dears

Someone posts a thread. People comment on it.

My first post was responding to the original post. And I said it's a stupid thing to get bothered about.

OP got all pissy and insisted her thread is very interesting.

It really isn't.

Letme explain how message forums work my dears

I’ve noticed this tedious, patronising ‘my dear’ thing a few times on MN recently. Yawn.

If OP wanted people to just agree with her, she should have said.

See ya.

Thanks ecuril my dear.

I think the op was being ironic, rather than pissy, given she had already reworded her title in a subsequent post.

A message forum generally works by people posting threads and others responding and adding comments to threads they are interested in. Most people, if they find a thread boring, don't bother with it.