Sensory System Series: The Olfactory System
What is your favorite smell? What does it make you think of? I love the smell of fresh baked cookies, lilac flowers, and coffee! Each brings back sweet memories. Thanks to our olfactory system we are able to enjoy our favorite smells and avoid bad smells. This week we are highlighting the olfactory system which is our sense of smell. This system consists of the nose and upper and lower nasal cavities. The upper nasal cavity houses the mucus membrane responsible for the perception of smell and the lower nasal cavity acts as a respiratory passageway.
The specialized sensory cells called olfactory sensory neurons are located high inside the nose. They pick up information about the odors around us helping us process our environment. The smells around us release tiny molecules that our olfactory sensory neurons detect then send the sensory information to our brain to be identified. Each olfactory neuron has one odor receptor, but there are far more smells in our environment than odor receptors therefore a combination of receptors may be stimulated based on the molecules from the smell. This creates a representation of the smell in our brains. Our brains remember the combination as a particular smell.
There are two pathways our olfactory sensory neurons are stimulated: the nostrils and a channel connecting the top of the throat to the nose. When we chew food, molecules are released from the food and travel through the channel to our olfactory sensory neurons. This explains why smell is closely linked to taste. In fact, the flavor of food is only perceived when taste is combined with smell. Do you remember having a cold or stuffed up nose? Were you able to taste food? Probably not or didn’t enjoy the foods as much. That is because a stuffed up nose means the second pathway is blocked not allowing the molecules from food to travel to the olfactory sensory neurons.
Our nose guides us to food, alerts us of danger, and can be used for calming or alerting our nervous system through specifically tailored scents. Olfactory input can trigger memories, influence our mood, emotions, attitude, cognition, and behavior. This is particularly why I love the smell of lilac flowers. They remind me of spring and make me feel refreshed. There are many ways to add smells to your environment to promote a certain feeling or mood. Essential oils have therapeutic benefits and are one way to promote olfactory input in your environment.
A few of our favorites include:
Eucalyptus: Mental clarity, boost brain activity
Lavender: Calming, restful sleep, mood improvement
Lemon: Uplifting, clarity
Lemongrass: Clarity, mental cleansing
Peppermint: Energizing, stimulating, revitalizing
Each person has their own smell preferences. One smell may be enjoyable for one person and not the other. Is your child or yourself sensitive to certain smells? Due to smell being closely linked to taste, memories, and emotions, certain smells may trigger your child in a negative way resulting in behaviors. A child’s olfactory system may be over-responsive (hypersensitive) or under-responsive (hyposensitive). Over-responsivity means one has a larger than expected emotional or behavioral response to sensory input. It takes little input to produce a sensation. Examples of behaviors may include fear, excitability, agitation, restlessness, rigidity, or need for control within the environment. On the other hand, a child may be under-responsive where the child has low arousal where they don’t notice the sensory input and it takes a lot of input to produce a sensation. They may seek intensive sensory input.
Therapeutic Tool Highlight: Aromatherapy Diffuser with Audio
This diffuser provides visual stimulation through color and can also increase calming for caregivers through use of scents such as lavender and eucalyptus. Furthermore, diffusing scents such as On Guard for immune-supporting properties. This diffuser also provides a bluetooth option and sounds providing auditory input for regulation and calming. Natural sounds including ocean sounds, birds, or rainstorms provide regulation and internal homeostasis.
Children with sensory processing disorders may have challenges in a new environment or adding items with smells to a familiar environment because of olfactory input sensitivities. Those without sensory processing disorders may not notice subtle changes in smells within our environment, but it can greatly impact those who do. The above strategies are only a few and may or may not help. Let us know and we’d be happy to provide you with more. We are here to support you!