What is Hyperosmia?

Walking into the kitchen, I stop to ask, “Who got bananas?” My husband replies, “We don’t have any bananas.” But I distinctly smell bananas and now I want one. “I did have some strawberry and banana yogurt earlier today," he says. "I washed out the container and it’s next to the sink." Aha. That’s what I smell.

Sometimes hyperosmia (an increased sense of smell) drives me batty. The smell might be something quite pleasant, like a banana, or something offensive, like my cat going to the bathroom at the other end of the house. Hyperosmia is one of those weird things I’ve learned to live with. It doesn’t affect me all of the time, but occasionally I seem to have the nose of a bloodhound.

An altered sense of smell can be related to multiple sclerosis (MS), neurologic disorders, or other causes. It’s not something that my neurologist routinely questions me about, but it is something you should mention to your doctor if you experience it.

The incidence of impaired sense of smell in people with MS is variable, with estimates ranging from 15 percent to 38.5 percent in different trials. A recent systematic review of the literature found prevalence reports ranging from 20 percent to 45 percent of the MS population. Discrepancies among research results may be due to different testing methods, small numbers of people in the trials, and differences in trial designs.

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My MS and My Bloodhound Nose

Managing Sensory Overload with MS

What do large parties, grocery stores, and movie theaters have in common? Lots and lots of sensory stimuli delivering a potentially overwhelming combination of sounds, smells, lights, colors, and motion in a crowded space.

Sometimes sensory input, such as sounds, can cause significant pain, physical response, confusion, and fatigue in persons living with multiple sclerosis. Symptoms such as hyperacusis and stimulus-sensitive myoclonus (add link to new post) can become quite debilitating. Too much sensory input may also interfere with a person’s ability to interact with others and to function socially or professionally.

Sensory overload is not something that just affects children with autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It can affect those of us living with MS.

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12 Ways to Manage Sensory Overload

Hyperacusis and Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is associated with malfunctioning nerves in the central nervous system (CNS) caused by demyelination. That means the protective lining around your nerves has become damaged or is missing. Myelin helps nerve impulses travel along the CNS between the brain and body. Sometimes, a lack of myelin causes a misfiring of nerve impulses which might interrupt, subdue, or amplify the messages. It’s the misfirings that contribute to symptoms.

What is hyperacusis?

Hyperacusis is commonly defined as a heightened, abnormal sensitivity or intolerance to ordinary, everyday sounds. Some 8-15 percent of the general population suffers from it. “Normal” sounds for you might be perceived as outrageously LOUD and painful to me. The effects of hyperacusis can range from mild to severe. But not all hyperacusis is the same; a recent literature review suggests there are four forms:

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Why Do I Startle So Easily and Sounds Are Too Loud?