Olfactory blindness is a phenomenon that may prevent people from detecting certain smells in their own homes, even when these odors are unpleasant. The article explains that, although we are not aware of it, we are often surrounded by aromas we can no longer detect.
Inside the nose there is a small area of tissue called the olfactory epithelium, located in an elevated area. This tissue is full of olfactory receptors whose function is to detect odors and send messages to the brain for interpretation.
The brain interprets these messages as the variety of smells that make up our daily lives, from pleasant aromas like freshly baked sourdough bread or honeysuckle flowers, to unpleasant smells like a cloud of incense smoke or dog feces.
The article mentions that there is an explanation for this phenomenon and a simple test to identify if we are affected by this olfactory blindness, suggesting that unpleasant smells can persist for a long time without us becoming aware of their presence.
