[ExI] restoration-ready

spike at rainier66.com spike at rainier66.com
Sun May 23 22:39:00 UTC 2021


 

 

From: extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org> On Behalf Of William Flynn Wallace via extropy-chat
Sent: Sunday, May 23, 2021 2:56 PM
To: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Cc: William Flynn Wallace <foozler83 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [ExI] restoration-ready

 

>…Unusual case - friend of mine was hit by a car.  He and his wife were walking and he pushed her out of the way.  Once recovered from concussion, etc., he was left with no sense of smell.  He sued and won.  After the verdict the judge called him to the bench and told him that he had heard that zinc might help.  He started taking zinc and two weeks later while walking in Birmingham he smelled a hotdog-  most wonderful thing on earth, he said at the time.  He experimented:  after going off the zinc he lost it;  back on zinc, he got it back.  We have a lot to learn about the brain.   bill w

 

 

This may have had nothing to do with the concussion or the brain.  An impact to the head would be completely consistent with localized swelling of the nasal cavities, resulting in loss of access to the olfactory receptors.  This is what causes loss of smell when you suffer from that stuffy-nose feeling associated with a head cold.  Zinc may act to reduce swelling of these delicate nasal tissues, restoring his sense of smell.

 

I had an acquaintance who had never had much of an olfactory sense.  In his late 50s, his doctor convinced him that his olfactory receptor cells and nerves were intact, but the configuration of the tissues in his head were the cause of his inability to smell anything. This could be treated with surgery.  After much consideration, he decided to go forward with it.  

 

The surgery changed the sound of his voice, which he liked.  He was rather disappointed to discover that most of the smells in the world which he was experiencing for the first time at age 60, were unpleasant.  He didn’t want to undo the surgery, but spent much time and effort trying to find those few odors he considered pleasant, which were about one in ten.

 

After the surgery, he could taste food for the first time as well, and likewise was disappointed to find that many, if not most foods, tasted somewhat unpleasant.

 

We spoke soon after he had it done.  Since then the matter was not discussed.  I need to ask him if the situation improved.

 

spike

 

 

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