Convinced you have always been? You may have rare condition

This is blowing!

Some people often worry about the smell of the body, even when it smells perfectly well.

Sometimes it becomes as bad as they perceive other people’s gestures – such as smelling, touching their nose or opening a window – as confirmation that they smell bad. Even worse, they can lose their jobs, go through a fun event or withdraw socially because of it.

OLFACT REFERENCE (ORS) is a little known psychiatric condition where patients are preoccupied with the unfounded belief that they emit terrible smell of the body, causing them anxiety, discomfort and severe concerns.

People with ORS can be involved in excessive hygiene practices to distribute the imaginary smell and – when the belief that they smell continues – retreats to avoiding behavior.

Fortunately, new research offers hope for treatment. DE MONtréal PH.D. Candidate Morganne Masse published a work in the fall describing two cases of the situation.

The first patient was a 63-year-old man who fought with ORS since 20-when symptoms usually appear. He claimed to have an annoying smell and an unpleasant sensation in his mouth.

He was still able to maintain romantic relationships and a social life, but avoiding public transit and events.

The second patient-a 53-year-old man-was a much more severe case, the one who led him to withdraw completely social and let him unable to keep a job. He also experienced hallucinations and thoughts of suicide.

He believed that a weak breeze emanated from his mouth and rectum.

Masse recently noted that one of the ORS challenges is that it is difficult to diagnose when the patient is convinced that the body’s aroma is true.

“People with ORS have often gone from doctor to doctor before referring to psychiatry,” Masse said last week. “They will consult with numerous specialists – dentists, dermatologists – try to eliminate fragrances they believe they release.”

She stressed that both patients in her study “spent years seeing different doctors and trying drug therapy before receiving an accurate diagnosis.”

It is unclear how many people have ors. Its addressing usually involves a combination of psychotherapy and medication.

Cognitive-transmitter therapy (CBT) has been effective to help individuals challenge and regain their distorted beliefs about body odor. Moreover, some antidepressants have shown promises in reducing ORS -related obsessive concerns.

“CBT has been shown to reduce dysfunctional thoughts and anxiety, while antidepressants are also recommended, often in combination with CBT,” Masse said.

“Another approach is to address the delusion component of the ORS in a similar way to how we treat positive symptoms of psychosis. Isolated case studies suggest the efficiency of the combination of antidepressants and antipsychotics, though the latter are generally less effective.”