Smell Loss: Check Your Home Safety Plan

If you have lost your sense of smell, you may not notice a gas leak or a fire by smell. The NHS¹ flags this safety concern. Not smelling something does not establish that your surroundings are safe.¹

1. Check how your alarms are maintained

University Hospitals Birmingham advises ensuring home fire alarms are working and checking them routinely.²

Find the instructions for your own alarms and the arrangements for checking them. If you rent, ask the landlord or property manager who handles maintenance and how to report a concern. Ask your local fire service for advice if you are unsure what your home needs.

Keep the contact details somewhere you can find them. Ask anyone who shares the home to discuss the alarm and emergency plan with you. Use the alarm’s instructions and local emergency guidance when responding to a warning.

2. Review gas-safety arrangements with a qualified service

The Birmingham leaflet warns that smell loss can make faulty gas appliances difficult to identify. It discusses appliance servicing and a possible natural-gas detector as safety measures.²

If you have gas appliances, ask a qualified local gas-safety service what checks and warning arrangements suit your home. Have the appliance information available and explain that you cannot rely on smell. Ask who to contact if you suspect a problem.

Let that service explain any suitable equipment and its maintenance. Keep their instructions with your household safety information. An article cannot confirm that a particular home or appliance is safe.

3. Mention tasks that depend on smell

Birmingham advises discussing the issue with your employer if smell is necessary for your occupation. With your permission, the employer can contact the clinical team for advice.²

Name the actual tasks rather than trying to decide what you should still be able to do. Ask what assessment or support is appropriate and who will review the arrangements. Bring the same examples to your clinician so the work concern receives attention.

4. Keep the clinical assessment moving

The NHS¹ advises seeing a GP if your sense of smell has not returned to normal in a few weeks. The clinician checks for obvious causes and may refer you for specialist tests if the cause is uncertain.¹

Tell them when the change started and how it affects daily life. You can say: “I am worried about warnings I might miss at home. Can we discuss the assessment and the practical support I need?”

Keep the household questions alongside your appointment questions. A safety plan gives you arrangements to review while the clinician investigates the change; it does not predict recovery.

Arms Up includes a visit script. Use it to organize the smell-change and daily-safety questions you want to discuss. See the book.