The Smell of Spring Time!
The nose and it vital functionsThe nose is no joke.
The nose has 3 functions to moisten air and filter it as we breathe, and to facilitate smell.
The truth is smell doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Our sense of smell allows us to enjoy the scent of fresh flowers, ocean breezes, and even enhances the taste of our foods. However, the sense of smell plays an even more important roll. Our sense of smell can save our lives. If we smell smoke from a fire we know to stay away, or if we smell rotten food we know not to eat it. Ever hear that pregnant women have a heighten sense of smell? Their sense of smell becomes more discerning to protect their unborn baby.
How do we smell?
There are two olfactory membranes, smelling surfaces, under the bridge of our noses that are about as big as a postage stamp. As we breathe in the vapors are dissolved and the Olfactory nerve, the smelling nerve converts those smells into electrical signals. Generally, signals going to the brain have to travel through out the body to reach the brain. However, the smelling nerve goes straight back to the part of the brain that stores memory and feelings without any detours to the cerebral cortex. This is why there is a strong memory connection with the sense of smell.
Smells are powerful memory trigger and the relationship between smell and memory has been the subject of many studies.
My favorite smell memories from spring come from when I was in high school. I used to run along a road next to a river and would often smell the scent of the birch trees. When I a pass by a birch tree now, the memory from those runs comes flooding back. The smell of those trees makes me feel happy and young again!
Dr. Dominic Gaziano - Dr. G
The Feel Good Health Guy
Health & Wellness Expert
stress scents smells aromatherapy springtime Turbo Tagger
The smell of the rain reminds me of my high school days, waiting for my crush to come out... Thanks for sharing this thoughts.
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