Role of Odors in Asthma

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Abstract
Asthmatic patients (25) were interviewed to determine if odors were related to the patients'' asthma. Twenty-two stated that odors precipitated attacks. An analysis of the character of the odors revealed that these odors were for the most part anal derivatives. Nineteen common odorous substances were presented in a standardized manner to a group of apparently healthy subjects and to a group of asthmatic patients. The subjects were requested to report everything that came to mind. The asthmatic subjects had significantly more blocking of associations. These observations have been discussed in relation to childhood experiences and unresolved conflicts. A respiratory reflex has been described which has the purpose of denying further access of odors to the lungs. The hypothesis has been presented that in some patients the asthma attack is a means of physiologically defending against the activation by odors of unresolved childhood conflicts.

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