Can Humans Smell Death? The Startling Science of Disease-Detecting Super Smellers

The air hung heavy with a scent she couldn’t ignore—a musky, unsettling odor clinging to her husband’s skin. For years, Joy Milne dismissed it, until a neurologist’s diagnosis revealed the truth: Parkinson’s disease. Twelve years earlier, her nose had known. Milne’s extraordinary sense of smell, once an oddity, now spearheads medical breakthroughs—and she’s not alone. Recent discussions reveal a hidden world where humans detect life, death, and disease through scent alone.

The Redditor Who Smells Death and Pregnancy

Last week, a Reddit user stunned thousands by claiming they can smell impending death and early pregnancy. User u/scoundrelbird described the scent of approaching death as “AWFUL,” inducing dread and anxiety. Pregnancy, meanwhile, triggered nausea “to the point of gagging.” They’ve accidentally spoiled pregnancy announcements by reacting to the scent weeks before confirmations. “Is there any rational explanation?” they asked. Medical experts say yes. Hormonal shifts in pregnancy alter body odor, while dying bodies release distinct biochemical signals. Hospice nurses like Julie confirm this phenomenon, noting a recognizable “death smell” in terminal patients.

The Biochemistry of Death’s Scent

What causes these ominous odors? Science points to specific compounds:

• Putrescine and Cadaverine: Gases produced when bacteria break down amino acids, linked to decomposition (Hospice Nurse Julie, 2024).
• Cytokines: Proteins released during immune responses. A landmark study by the Association for Psychological Science (2020) found injecting lipopolysaccharide (a toxin) made subjects emit a distinct “sickness smell.”
  These volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are undetectable to most. But for “super smellers,” they’re unmistakable warnings.

Parkinson’s Pioneers and Medical Miracles

Joy Milne’s ability revolutionized Parkinson’s diagnostics. After smelling a “woody, musky odor” on her husband years before his diagnosis, she collaborated with researchers to identify the VOCs linked to the disease. Their work, published in ACS Central Science (2019), led to a skin-swab test with 95% accuracy—proving scent could diagnose illness. Milne’s case isn’t isolated. Teachers report autistic students detecting pregnancies before tests show positive. One educator shared: “Students hugged my belly daily. They knew before I knew.”

Hyperosmia: The Super-Smeller Phenomenon

Only 1-2% of people have hyperosmia—an extreme sensitivity to smells. Research in Neuroscience (2018) links it to increased gray matter in olfactory brain regions. For these individuals, scents aren’t just strong; they’re data streams. Redditors like u/CenterofChaos report smelling cancer: “I never forgot the odor from my grandmother. Now I recognize it in others.” While scientists caution more study is needed, institutions like the Monell Chemical Senses Center confirm human scent detection of diseases like tuberculosis and diabetes is biologically plausible.

The evidence is undeniable: human olfaction holds untapped diagnostic power. From Parkinson’s alerts to pregnancy cues, “super smellers” challenge our understanding of biology. As research accelerates, their gifts could reshape early disease detection—proving sometimes, the nose knows best. Share this breakthrough to spread awareness of science’s most surprising frontier.

Must Know

Q: Can anyone learn to smell diseases like Parkinson’s?
A: Hyperosmia is often innate or linked to conditions like migraines. While training may heighten awareness, the extreme sensitivity appears neurological. Diagnostic tools inspired by super smellers, however, will be accessible.

Q: Is the “death smell” psychological or physical?
A: Physical. Studies confirm dying cells release distinct VOCs. Putrescine and cadaverine are measurable compounds, not subjective perceptions.

Q: How soon before death can it be smelled?
A: Hospice workers report detecting it days to weeks prior. Reddit users describe sensing it “months ahead,” though clinical verification is ongoing.

Q: Could scent-based diagnostics replace labs?
A: As supplements, yes. Joy Milne’s work led to a 95% accurate Parkinson’s swab test. Researchers aim to replicate this for cancers and infections.

Q: Are animals better disease smellers than humans?
A: Dogs detect cancers with 97% accuracy (PLOS ONE, 2021). But human “super smellers” like Milne show our potential is vastly underrated.

Sources: ACS Central Science (2019), Association for Psychological Science (2020), Monell Chemical Senses Center, Neuroscience (2018), PLOS ONE (2021).