Our senses play a vital role in our everyday lives. They help us navigate the world around us and allow us to experience and enjoy the beauty of life. While each sense has its unique function, they work together to provide a comprehensive experience of our surroundings. In this article, we will explore why you need all five senses to live a fulfilling life.
Our Five Senses
Each of our senses uses its own detection system to get information from our surroundings. The information is sent to the brain where it will be processed and combined to create a complete sensory picture of our environment.
-
See
Sight is perhaps the most apparent sense, allowing us to see and appreciate the world's beauty. We can enjoy vibrant colors, majestic landscapes, and the intricate details of everyday life as light and color are detected by cells in the retina at the back of our eyes. Sight helps us navigate and interact with our surroundings, from finding our way around a new city to reading a book. -
Hear
Hearing is also essential to our daily lives, allowing us to communicate and connect with others. We can enjoy music, listen to the sounds of nature, and engage in conversations through our hair cells in the ear move in response to specific frequencies of sound. Hearing alerts us to potential danger, such as approaching vehicles or alarms, and enables us to respond quickly. -
Taste
Taste is a sense that brings us pleasure and sustenance. Our taste buds on the tongue react to salt, sour, bitter, sweet and umami tastes in our food and drinks. This is how we can enjoy the flavors and textures of our favorite foods and drinks, nourishing our bodies and providing us with energy. Taste also alerts us to potential dangers, such as spoiled or poisonous food, and enables us to make informed decisions about what we consume. -
Smell
Smell is a sense that adds depth and richness to our experiences. Special cells in the nose detect different chemicals in the air that we breathe in, so we can enjoy the aromas of flowers, freshly baked bread, and other delights. Smell also helps us identify potential dangers, such as gas leaks or fires, enabling us to take swift action. We also detect the flavors in food as air moves from our mouth up into the back of the nasal cavity. -
Touch
Touch is a sense that provides us with information about our surroundings. Various receptors in our skin can detect different types of touch, including pressure and vibrations. We can feel textures, temperatures, and pressure, enabling us to manipulate objects and navigate our environment. Touch also plays an essential role in our social interactions, allowing us to express affection, comfort, and empathy.
It's Important to Do Regular Health Screening
We get all of our information about the world around us through our five senses, but as we age our senses often diminish. It’s not just that we lose our hearing or have worsened eyesight. Senses of touch, taste and smell can weaken as well. These sensory changes alter the way we experience the world and ultimately impact quality of life, such as:
- Seniors with diminished vision may have difficulty distinguishing between similar colors. Using high-contrast colors helps them see better, which allows them to navigate corridors and see all of the food on their plates.
- 80% of people over 85 have hearing loss, which can separate seniors from making important daily connections with others. Minimizing background noise from heating and air conditioning systems makes it easier to interact and be a part of conversations.
- A diminished sense of taste can make eating less pleasurable. Preserving texture and enhancing flavors can bring enjoyment back to eating and help boost nutrition. Almost as important as the pleasure of a meal are the social connections mealtime creates.
In conclusion, each of our five senses plays a critical role in our lives, and we need them all to live a fulfilling life. By engaging all our senses, we can appreciate the world's beauty, connect with others, nourish our bodies, navigate our environment, and make informed decisions. If you are experiencing any sensory loss, consider speaking with a medical professional to discuss treatment options and ways to improve your quality of life. With all five senses in action, we can experience the full richness of life and live it to the fullest.
