Breathing Changes Linked to Anosmia and Anxiety

Image Name: Smell Loss

Image Credit: NBC News

Anosmia, or the loss of smell, has in recent times been recognized increasingly as a serious health issue. The illness was given many headlines during the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus worldwide. This absence of smell is most typically thought of in terms of its effects on taste and the appreciation of food, but more recent studies have shown that it also can cause variations in breathing. It might give an understanding of what, more broadly, is at stake for mental health in connection with depression and other pathologies: insight into the connection between smell loss and changes in breathing.

The Association Between Smell and Breathing
Research further suggests that our senses are interrelated and can be affected by each other in a non-independent manner. The sense of smell is more closely linked to the respiratory system. Individuals suffering from losing their ability to smell usually subconsciously change the pattern of breathing. A study published in the journal Chemical Senses states that this results in different parameters, such as depth and rhythm of breaths being taken.

The way we live with our environment is essential, and our breathing patterns are among the critical factors in it. Thus, for instance, altered breathing can contribute to our overall well-being, causing distress or apprehension in a person. The paper further postulates that someone who experiences anosmia will breathe differently; maybe unconsciously responding to the loss of the sensory stimulus.

Anosmia and Mental Illness
Losses in anosmia extend beyond the physical dimension. The loss of smell can greatly impact one’s quality of life and predispose individuals toward sentiments of loneliness and depression. The smell is dramatically connected with memory and emotion-increasingly so because different smells trigger powerful recollections or evoke emotions in the present. If people lose this sensory connection, it could bring about emotional pain.

The study also observed a higher occurrence of depressive attacks among patients with anosmia. This is most probably because the patient, in addition to the emotional pain resulting from the deprivation of an essential sense, may also be affected by changes in breathing patterns. An alteration of respiratory function may tend to lead to increased anxiety, which can thus become a vicious cycle wherein the patient feels overwhelmed.

Image Name: Breathing Changes

Image Credit: Scientific American

The Mechanisms at Work
Such changes are not physiological, in the simplest of terms; therefore, any physiological mechanisms that enable such changes are complex. Anosmia can alter sensory information processing by the brain, and thus its breathing due to regulation through the autonomic nervous system. Changes in breathing subsequently lead to a reduction in oxygen intake, thus worsening fatigue and contributing to overall deterioration.

Social contact also assumes significance in managing mental health. Patients suffering from smell loss may avoid social contacts that once brought them joy and pleasure and make the emotional and psychological distress worse. The challenge between socialization, mental health, and sensory experience is something that needs to be further researched.

Solving the Problem
To effectively intervene, health professionals should understand how the loss of smell interacts with breathing patterns and mental health. Healthcare professionals should not dismiss psychological factors of anosmia in treatment. Therapy and support groups can guide patients through the emotional battle of losing the sense of smell.

In addition, breathing and mindfulness exercises may be beneficial. An activity like deep breathing and meditation may assist a patient in gaining mastery over her or his breathing patterns and will help reduce some of the fears related to anosmia.

Role of Support Systems
Support structures play an invaluable role in a patient’s attempt to deal with loss of smell and its consequences. Relatives and mental health practitioners become primary support systems for a patient suffering from loss of smell. Supportive discussions and debates about sensory loss may help de-stigmatize the issue and introduce a feeling of belongingness and camaraderie.

Support groups specifically for those with anosmia can also be very beneficial. Anosmia support groups provide people with the opportunity to share experiences and other coping strategies, which can help reduce feelings of isolation. The finding of one who is assured that their condition is not exceptional can be comforting and healing.

Conclusion
Losing one’s sense of smell may not be the most minor discomfort at all. It brings serious psychological effects on a person’s breathing patterns and mental health. As much more is learned concerning this complex condition, management of the condition on both physical and emotional sides will be essential to their quality of life. Smell, breath, and mental well-being recognition of interdependence will open doors for more holistic treatments and supports. It is about getting people to seek help and to sensitize them to openness in discussions regarding sensory loss. In that sense, we may try to develop an environment that allows people with anosmia to live with the challenges of this disorder while still giving general mental and physical well-being support.