Reply
Thu 5 Jan, 2012 10:49 am
Besides pregnancy, the loss of a sense, panic attacks, and epilepsy, what causes heightened senses? Specifically a heightened sense of smell, taste, and hearing that does not come and go, but appears permanent. Is it indicative of a health problem?
Examples:
- Smelling Oreos when you are on a different floor of the house. Scents causing you to become physically ill like cinnamon, cooking hotdogs, or other foods that you can eat without a problem, yet the scent is overpowering. Being continually exposed to the scent does not make its effect diminish.
- Not being able to eat much sugar. The usual person can eat a whole piece of cake or doughnut, yet this sensitivity makes you unable to eat more than a tiny bite of cake or chocolate or anything sweet. More than a bite or two of a sweet causes an upset stomach. Breathing in can cause you to taste items that are not strong in scent or taste. Many foods are intolerable to eat because of the sensitivity.
- Hearing noises with extremely far range. Low bass sounds, high whistles, noises that are typically unheard, and yet you hear them clearly. A car door shutting in the far distance, footsteps in the neighbor's driveway. Sounds that surround you that cause vertigo or give your head a 'numb' feeling. Headphones with noises that move from ear to ear cause sickness.
The symptoms you describe could fit persons with Aspergers or who are autistic.
@Subliminal0,
Hi, Subliminal - this thread may interest you:
http://able2know.org/topic/18492-1
@ossobuco,
Thanks muchly, Osso! That's a very fascinating thread. Here I thought I was crazy when I'd tell my mother to hand me something from the grocery bag and I never had to see what was in it. Senses are a wonderfully strange thing at that magnitude. I'm relieved that it has a name, though most people seem to have more severe problems with it than I do. It usually just makes me nauseous, gives me the sensation of spinning, or makes head feel heavy or numb. I wouldn't go so far as to think I have that, but it is food for thought.
@Subliminal0,
You're welcome, subliminal. Dag's one of our favorite long time posters here, though she doesn't post all that much anymore. She has some wonderful threads.
@ossobuco,
I found a small insight into the book at harpercollins online, and I'm amazed. There are plenty of things I do and avoid that I never put to my senses. I always tell myself I'm just not socialized enough or I worry too much because now we all relate problems to psychological illness.
You may recall from previous posts that I had been diagnosed with SVT, but if sensory defensiveness is factual and has a well developed basis, I wouldn't be surprised if my cardiac problems are really just the fight/flight response to my senses and not the mistaken wiring of my heart. My cardiologist acknowledged that my body's responses were unusually severe [musty rooms can leave me gasping for air or warm water can make my joints swell and turn colors]. In the end, I always feel like a hypochondriac because it seems everything bothers me.
Stumble It!
Tweet This
Bookmark on Delicious
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace