If the smell of crisp apple strudels is also one of your favorite things, you might struggle to recognize it in the years leading up to a dementia diagnosis. A change in your smell memory is a common symptom of cognitive disease, according to Trinh. This may manifest as “difficulty in recognizing familiar smells, such as not being able to recall the smell of a favorite dish or perfume,” he explains.
Scents may get distorted as a result, causing you to perceive familiar them “as different or unfamiliar,” says Danny Dorsey, a mental health expert and founder of the health treatment facility Everlast Recovery Center. You might also develop an “inability to smell common scents like peppermint and orange” altogether, adds Manisha Parulekar, MD, the division chief for geriatrics at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.