There is a correlation between sense of taste and that of smell so that whatever it is we are smelling, the molecules that are released from what is smelled, get into the air and into the nose. For someone going through the taste changes and the way tastes are sharpened, the odors must be sharpened to a great degree, making them quite offensive. When my son's taste buds started to recover, I noticed that he would spend several minutes putting his head down and smelling everything for several seconds. I asked him about this and wondered if he thought I had prepared something that didn't turn out right. He said that although he could not taste things very well, smelling them gave him some of the same enjoyment he formerly had with being able to taste. There is a student paper (see second paragraph that discusses this correlation at:
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1575When I first became aware of what the molecules from certain items (which may not be quite so pleasant) can travel and get to our breathable air, I was a little shocked. And now, I always put the cover down on the toilet.
