This insidious sign of dementia can appear a decade before other symptoms

Losing your sense of smell is nothing to sneeze at – it could be an early sign of dementia.

“Smell identification has been identified as a useful screening tool that predicts the transition from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease dementia,” Virginia neurologist Fouzia Siddiqui told Parade last week.

Nearly 7 million Americans have been diagnosed with dementia, which gradually destroys memory, thinking skills and the ability to perform basic tasks. Researchers have long recognized the strong link between anosmia – the medical term for loss of smell – and an increased risk of dementia.

While identifying Alzheimer’s risk factors such as genetic variants usually requires comprehensive testing, anosmia may be evident during daily activities. Experts suggest consulting a doctor if you can’t smell your shampoo, conditioner or shower gel while bathing.

“The neurodegeneration process that causes dementia can also affect the sensation and sensory processing associated with smell, making it more difficult [patients] to recognize familiar scents like their favorite shampoo or body wash,” Dr. Meredith Bock, a board-certified neurologist and chief medical officer at Remo Health, explained to Parade.

Siddiqui said that in the case of Lewy body dementia — the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s — the reduced or distorted ability to smell can precede other symptoms by nearly a decade.

Clumps of clumped proteins that signal Alzheimer’s tend to appear first in brain regions associated with memory and smell before spreading to other parts of the brain.

A 2022 study from the University of Chicago Medicine found that people with a rapid decline in their sense of smell had smaller gray matter volume and shape in areas related to smell and memory than people who had less. problems with their sense of smell.

In fact, one study determined that seniors who cannot identify smells are three times more likely to die within five years than healthy seniors.

“Unfortunately, if the loss of smell and taste is due to a neurodegenerative disorder, such as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease, it is not reversible,” Bock said.

Anosmia does not always mean you have dementia. It can be a symptom of cold, flu, COVID-19, head trauma, vitamin deficiency and even normal aging.

“As we age, it’s normal for our senses to change,” Bock told Parade. “For people living with dementia, these changes may be more noticeable.”

It is important to tell your healthcare provider about any noticeable changes. Recent research from the University of Michigan found that millions of Americans likely have symptoms of dementia but no formal diagnosis in part because patients misunderstand their symptoms as normal aging.

Risk factors for dementia include lower levels of education, hearing loss, high blood pressure, tobacco use, obesity, depression, diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption, traumatic brain injury, air pollution, social isolation , vision loss, high cholesterol and a sedentary lifestyle.