Smell loss is endangering lives but doctors do not take it seriously, researchers have found.

A new study from the University of East Anglia has discovered that people with anosmia suffer a huge range of emotional and physical implications.

Many sink into deep depressions because they can no longer enjoy freshly cut grass, baked bread, childhood memories, or the scent of loved ones.

For others the condition could prove deadly, because they are unable to pick up the odour of gas, smoke or rotten food.

Researchers surveyed 71 anonymous people suffering from chronic smell loss to find out about their experiences. One woman claimed the condition had broken up her marriage.

“I am sure there was an impact on sex, and being close to my husband,” she said. “Although our marriage was already in difficulty, I believe anosmia helped end it.”

Another mother wrote, “The thought of not smelling my children again is too distressing to accept.”

And one sufferer described the experience as like bereavement, saying she felt she was ‘living in a world behind glass.’

The researchers hope that their findings will encourage doctors to take smell problems more seriously, offering more support to patients.