Is it true that menopausal women have a more intense sense of smell than their younger counterparts?

It is true of my mother (although her sense of smell began to heighten prior to menopause) and it seems to be true of me. At least I hope it is.

Whew!

Smells definitely bother me more than they used to; I am way more tuned in to the smellosphere!

When I was younger my Mom would freak me out. When she was still working, back when everyone wore business suits, she once told me “I can always tell when a man wears his shirt to church on Sunday, and then wears it again to work on Monday, even if he’s meticulously clean.” Sheesh!

I’m wondering if this is a “thing,” or it’s just my family, or it’s just my Mom.

When I was younger I always smelled great! I could work out and sweat for an hour and I didn’t even really need deodorant – I still smelled great. Now that I’m older, I don’t smell great when I’m finished toweling myself off from a shower. The effort of toweling vigorously is enough to make me perspire – and then I’m not feeling confident of smelling like a daisy!

In fact, now that I’m older, I am treated to a whole cornucopia of smells that are me! Few of them are welcome. My life has evolved into a series of checks and double checks on the smell-o-meter.

I finish showering, I check to see if extra deodorant needs to be applied, or if I need to get a “wet wipe” to refresh and start all over again. During the day, I periodically check to see if a deodorant refresh is in order. And, at night, everything goes into the wash – including the jacket or sweater worn over the top. Even when the top is long sleeved!

My husband says there’s no bad smell. Should I believe him or is he just trying to keep me from jumping off the ledge? Or, let’s face it, ever getting lucky again?

If a heightened sense of smell is a “thing” then I should be fine. That would mean I don’t really smell any worse than I ever did – and the only folks who think I do – besides myself – are sympathetic menopausal women like me. If it’s not a thing, but a phenomenon that occurs among some of the women in my family – I’m still okay – but it will be more difficult to verify for the purpose of preserving sanity.

The only other disturbing possibility is that I really do smell as bad as I think. If that’s the case, consider yourself forewarned – and keep your distance if you know what’s good for you!