Let’s get nosey - part 2

By Gabbi Di Marino, content manager and fellow allergy sufferer

If you read our last post, you’ll now know what an integral part your nose plays in protecting your lungs, filtering air, and just being an all around great pal for your body. But breathing isn’t the only thing your nose can do. In fact, your nose has quite the arsenal of surprising skills that you might not even be aware of. But that’s why we’re here - to give noses the attention they deserve.

 Now, It’s time to dig a little deeper into the other superpowers your nose possesses - its strong connection to memory!

Your nose helps you to remember

Source: http://www.headinjury.com/brainmap.htm

Have you ever walked by a bakery and smelt the delicious aroma of fresh baked goodies, only to have a powerful flashback to a memory of a summer spent at your grandma’s cottage? Or have you smelt a perfume of a stranger walking past, only to unlock a long forgotten experience with an old friend? 

Well, this phenomenon isn’t magic - it’s science. Unlike your other senses, your nose has a unique and powerful connection to memory. Why? It basically comes down to the anatomy of your brain. When your nose picks up a scent, it sends it to a part of the brain called the olfactory bulb, which is a frontal structure that pretty much acts like a central command center, sending information to where it needs to go. When smells enter the olfactory bulb, they then get a direct ticket to the limbic system, which includes the amygdala and the hippocampus. These parts are very strongly correlated with emotion and memory and is why your nose’s smelling power can bring about such powerful memories and feelings. 

Looking back at a human’s life cycle, smell is the only fully developed sense a fetus has in the womb, and during childhood is when your brain will decide which scents it adores and which ones it can't stand. Over your lifetime your nose will remember over 6 trillion different odors!

Workout your nose

Although your sense of smell may seem like it’s getting worse over time, the nose in itself is a muscle and can be strengthened with exercises. No, not by going to the gym, but with different kinds of exercises. The first is simple - sniff everything that you can. Before you drink your coffee or take a bite of that double chocolate brownie, take a moment to really allow your nose to take in the scent before eating it. You should also try smelling more in general. No matter where you are, allow yourself to really sniff out your surroundings. This video right here will break down more ways you can train your nose! 

Even businesses harness your nose’s power

Because of the nose’s strong link to emotion and memory, companies have taken advantage of this to help brand themselves, so that customers can distinguish them immediately when they get a whiff off their specific, curated scent. Think this sounds a bit off the wall? Well, it might be, but it’s proven to be a pretty effective tactic in allowing companies to stand out and be recognized. Even companies like Nike have used this type of branding! 

So, the next time you smell something delicious and get taken back to a long-forgotten memory, know that your nose is actually behind this weird, but awe-inspiring phenomenon! That’s why taking care of your nose is extra important - if your nose is stuffed because of pesky hay fever, it’s special powers are greatly diminished, and doing everyday things like breathing through your nose and smelling your home-cooked meals becomes next to impossible. To read more about your nose and it’s connection to memory, you can check out this super informative article!

Stay tuned for part 3, where we’ll delve into your nose’s role in taste!