PHX Reporter

With romantic dinner celebrations, opened bottles of wine and bouquets of roses filling the shops, the spirit of Valentine’s Day makes it easy to believe in love at first sight — but what about the first smell?

According to a recent article by the Cleveland Clinic, an individual’s sense of smell can play a crucial role in physical and sexual attraction. 

“That characteristic smell of a person’s perfume, cologne or the scent of their shampoo or soap is important to sexual arousal,” the Cleveland Clinic states. “The smell of human perspiration also has a direct effect on sexual receptors in the brain.”

Among other impacts, the report states a loss of smell may correlate with a decreased sex drive. With the olfactory system triggering memory, the nose plays a critical role in an individual’s perception of sex when paired with the olfactory system.

Related to this system, the vomeronasal organ (VNO) is located at the base of the nasal septum in the roof of the mouth.

“In humans, the VNO is largely vestigial or non-functional, acting as an old remnant like your appendix," Dr. Michael Benninger told the Cleveland Clinic. "But some researchers believe that it still plays a role in pheromone and other chemical communication."

Though the impact of pheromones has been widely debated, the report states these are important to reproduction in animals as well as human sexuality and stimulation.

To make sure your nose is functioning properly, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.