Are you doing what you can to protect your five senses? Believe it or not, there are numerous daily factors that can negatively impact your sense of taste, smell, touch, vision, and hearing. Beware!
Human Senses Study
One element that can dramatically affect your senses is stress. A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that stress could trick your brain and nose, causing you to smell negative smells. Stress can lead to migraines, which can impact vision. Stress can even affect our taste buds, causing disparities in our taste perception. So, lowering your stress is important for keeping your five senses in tip-top shape; but it isn’t the only way of keeping your senses healthy.
Protecting Your Five Senses
Stay fit by being mindful of the specific things listed below that can hurt your five senses.
- Smoking. Smoking is a habit that experts have been warning us about for decades. While you might be aware of the terrible effects it can have on your lungs, you may not be aware of the negative impact it can have on your sense of taste, hearing, smell, and vision. Nicotine decreases taste sensitivity. Smoking increases hearing loss among older Americans. Breathing the hot fumes can lead to the loss of the sense of smell. Smoking has even been linked to cataracts.
- Sugary drinks. A study from Bangor University found that sugary drinks could actually hurt your sense of taste. The researchers found that drinking two sugary drinks a day for four weeks can dull a person’s sensitivity to “the taste sensation” of sweetness. This causes people to consume more sugar, or add more sugar to their beverages (like sweet tea or coffee).
- Earbuds. Loud noises can definitely hurt your ears. And according to an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association study, 35 percent of adults and 59 percent of teenagers listen to portable music devices at loud volumes. But earbuds that rest directly in your ear can harm hair cells in your ear, which cannot be replaced and can lead to permanent damage.
- Toxins. Gardening is a relaxing hobby, and most people clean their homes on a regular basis. But these activities can have adverse effects on your sense of smell. Constant exposure to toxic chemicals in pesticides and cleaning solutions can cause anosmia, the complete loss of smell.
- Arthritis. According to the CDC, 50 million American adults have arthritis. This rheumatic disease causes pain, stiffness, and swelling in joints, making it harder to move and participate in usual activities. Arthritis can also affect a person’s sense of touch. Some people lose that feeling sensation. If you have any of these symptoms see your physician right away. Early treatment can change the course of arthritis.
- High blood pressure. Most Americans know that hypertension is bad for heart health, but did you know it’s also bad for your vision? According to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure strains the blood vessels in your eyes. Therefore, if your high blood pressure isn’t treated and the damage is not stopped, it can lead to permanent vision loss.