wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,203
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Mar 20, 2019 7:53:57 GMT
This is amazing, a Scottish lady is helping researchers with her sense of smell. She detected a change in her husband's scent 15 years before he was diagnosed with Parkinson's. The researchers asked her to smell 12 t-shirts, six worn by sufferers, six worn by a control group. She said 7 had the disease, five didn't. They thought she got six right and one wrong but no, the man in the control group was later diagnosed with Parkinson's. Since then she has been part of the research to id the chemical changes going on. Just watched her on breakfast news show where they asked if she smell the change when she is out and about and she said yes but protocols mean she can't tell the person affected. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-47627179 |
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craftykitten
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,304
Jun 26, 2014 7:39:32 GMT
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Post by craftykitten on Mar 20, 2019 8:27:41 GMT
I'm sure I've heard about her before, or maybe someone who could smell something else.
It must be horrible to know something like that and not be able to tell the person.
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Post by gillyp on Mar 20, 2019 8:57:28 GMT
Sounds familiar to me too or, as craftykitten says, it may have been a different disease. I wonder how many people have this gift, for Parkinson’s or other diseases, without being aware of it. |
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seaexplore
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Posts: 9,366
Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on Mar 20, 2019 13:27:08 GMT
My DH can smell my anxiety. I’ve asked others around me and they cannot but he says it’s a strong pungent smell and it fills the room!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 20:09:15 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2019 13:44:48 GMT
Why can she tell people? What protocol?
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Post by librarylady on Mar 20, 2019 14:41:27 GMT
Why can she tell people? What protocol?
Manners, I'd guess. Really--would you walk up to a stranger and announce, "I think you have Parkinson's" --or any other disease?
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Mar 20, 2019 15:44:23 GMT
That really is great news. Hope they are able to make tests accurate soon for every one, particularly members of families of known patients...
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Post by papersilly on Mar 20, 2019 17:40:18 GMT
i remember watching some crime drama on tv and they were able to identify someone because of their distinctive fruity breath that indicated they had diabetes or something like that. at first i thought that was artistic license on the show's part but i guess there is some truth to it.
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freebird
Drama Llama
'cause I'm free as a bird now
Posts: 6,927 
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Post by freebird on Mar 20, 2019 17:42:48 GMT
My DH can smell my anxiety. I’ve asked others around me and they cannot but he says it’s a strong pungent smell and it fills the room! When I stress out, or argue with my husband my dog gets up and walks up to me and is on me like glue. I wonder if I smell different then. |
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melissa
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,912
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Post by melissa on Mar 20, 2019 18:48:11 GMT
i remember watching some crime drama on tv and they were able to identify someone because of their distinctive fruity breath that indicated they had diabetes or something like that. at first i thought that was artistic license on the show's part but i guess there is some truth to it. This is a real thing, but it can only be done with those whose diabetes is not in good control. I can smell strep throat. Never been wrong on that one, much to the surprise of dd's then pediatrician. The initial rapid strep might be negative, but it always turned positive by the time we got home! |
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Post by kristi on Mar 20, 2019 19:04:04 GMT
Fascinating!
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Post by Lindarina on Mar 20, 2019 20:20:44 GMT
That’s fascinating! I wonder if it’s possible to train people to smell different diseases.
I could always smell false croupe on my daughter, before she showed any symptoms. It had it’s own very distinct smell.
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zella
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,884
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Post by zella on Mar 20, 2019 20:41:10 GMT
i remember watching some crime drama on tv and they were able to identify someone because of their distinctive fruity breath that indicated they had diabetes or something like that. at first i thought that was artistic license on the show's part but i guess there is some truth to it. This is real, but it doesn't take any unusual gift to do it. A person who has gone unconscious due to extremely high blood sugar will have fruity, sweet smelling breath. Someone who has gone unconscious due to extremely low blood sugar may have an acetone smell to their breath. This woman being able to smell Parkinsons' is completely different. This sounds more akin to what service dogs do who know their owner is going to have a seizure, for example. What an incredible gift to have! |
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Post by Bobomommy on Mar 20, 2019 21:03:27 GMT
When my daughter was young I could smell when her temperature was elevated. I’d walk into her bedroom and immediately know she had a temperature. My husband thought I was crazy, but I was never wrong.
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Post by Zee on Mar 20, 2019 21:29:39 GMT
i remember watching some crime drama on tv and they were able to identify someone because of their distinctive fruity breath that indicated they had diabetes or something like that. at first i thought that was artistic license on the show's part but i guess there is some truth to it. Diabetics only have that when they're in ketoacidosis but yes, it can be detected by scent. But that's no more unusual than detecting a UTI by scent. Now smelling Parkinson's, that's something. That's a dog level sniffer. Some dogs have been proven to be able to detect cancer, and they can easily detect infection that can't be seen. Once my dog wouldn't leave my cat alone, kept sniffing at his chest though I could find nothing. Two days later an abscess erupted at that spot. |
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wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,203
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Mar 20, 2019 21:46:06 GMT
A neighbour told me she had two dogs, one had epilepsy. Two days before the epileptic dog had a fit the other dog got agitated and would pace. This would happen every time.
Wouldn't it be great if we could figure out what dogs are sensing so we could use the knowledge to forecast fits in humans?
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Mar 20, 2019 23:28:15 GMT
their distinctive fruity breath that indicated they had diabetes A fact! wellway , There are dogs who detect seizures ... |
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 20:09:15 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2019 0:51:03 GMT
When my daughter was young I could smell when her temperature was elevated. I’d walk into her bedroom and immediately know she had a temperature. My husband thought I was crazy, but I was never wrong. My mom can smell a fever immediately |
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seaexplore
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,366
Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on Mar 21, 2019 1:25:27 GMT
My DH can smell my anxiety. I’ve asked others around me and they cannot but he says it’s a strong pungent smell and it fills the room! When I stress out, or argue with my husband my dog gets up and walks up to me and is on me like glue. I wonder if I smell different then. Probably. I know stress involves hormones and hormones have smells so, maybe. |
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luckyjune
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,788
Location: In the rainy, rainy WA
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Post by luckyjune on Mar 21, 2019 4:04:35 GMT
I have a cousin who is an RN and she says she can smell cancer. Not sure what to think of that, but she claims she's hugged people and said, "You need to go get checked out" and lo and behold...
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wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,203
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Mar 21, 2019 7:19:53 GMT
their distinctive fruity breath that indicated they had diabetes A fact! wellway , There are dogs who detect seizures ... You are right, of course, I should have been clearer. In the Parkinson's case the scientists are hoping to make a machine to replicate the ability to smell out the disease. I was thinking that it would great if the dogs ability to detect seizures was also made into a machine, perhaps a wearable item with a traffic light system to allow people to monitor their state and plan accordingly. |
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Post by gar on Mar 21, 2019 7:45:04 GMT
I wonder how many people have this gift, for Parkinson’s or other diseases, without being aware of it. That was my thought. |
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Post by leftturnonly on Mar 21, 2019 7:48:06 GMT
I once knew a woman who swore she could smell cancer. She didn't say it to brag. It was not a happy thing for her.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 21, 2019 13:44:31 GMT
My DH can smell my anxiety. I’ve asked others around me and they cannot but he says it’s a strong pungent smell and it fills the room! When I stress out, or argue with my husband my dog gets up and walks up to me and is on me like glue. I wonder if I smell different then. My dogs could all tell the day I was going to go into labor with DD. It was weird because that morning before I ever had a single contraction, all three of them were following me around and on me like glue! |
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lurkyloo
Full Member
Posts: 284
Dec 5, 2018 6:53:08 GMT
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Post by lurkyloo on Mar 21, 2019 14:34:47 GMT
When my daughter was young I could smell when her temperature was elevated. I’d walk into her bedroom and immediately know she had a temperature. My husband thought I was crazy, but I was never wrong. My mom can smell a fever immediately I’m curious, what did fever smell like? I always know when my kids (or ex) are going to get sick with a cold virus, because they smell like metal. I always feel like Trelawney: Do you feel well? Yes? Well, don’t get used to it! |
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