A woman is able to identify Parkinson’s disease by smell. Joy Milne – a nurse – now helps scientists work on identifying the disease at an early stage, for speedy treatment. This “natural talent” the Englishwoman discovered at home.

At some point, she noticed a sudden change in her husband’s scent. It was something that stuck in Joy’s head. After 12 years, her husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s when she began to follow her instincts.

Tests may lead to better treatment for Parkinson’s disease

She took her husband to the doctor and told the story of the smell to see if there could be a connection. Joy caught the attention of a professor at the University of Edinburgh who set up a group to study the case. A woman’s ability to smell has become the subject of research with a series of tests.

Tests

The scientists gave Joy a bunch of shirts from Parkinson’s patients with shirts from healthy people. She was able to identify the shirts that belonged to the patients. However, he was mistaken in one case, which at first was regarded as a failure.

However, after 8 months, the error became a hit, as the patient was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The scientists believe that the disease may do some harm to the body oils, releasing a characteristic odor captured by Joy.

The next step is to confirm whether the experiment can get a version in hospital labs, the scientists say. If successful, with early detection, the patient’s quality of life will definitely improve. At least for now, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease.