What Causes the Loss of Sensory Perception?

Taking sensory perception for granted is so easy. Experiencing the world through the senses feels so natural and automatic, it is rarely thought about unless there is something wrong with it, when the dysfunction can be maddening.



One of the best ways of guarding against loss of sensory perception is knowing what causes it.

Aging

• Cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration come with age and impair vision. Aging also causes people to lose their ability to hear high-pitched sounds, understand conversational speech, detect differences in tones and locate sounds in space. Older people further have fewer, duller taste buds; worse smelling ability due to lower olfactory sensitivity; and less sensitivity to touch, temperature and vibration, especially in sensitive areas such as fingertips, lips, and soles of feet than their younger counterparts.

Drug Use

• Different drugs cause different losses of sensory perception.

  Alcohol impairs vision, and can cause blackouts, or temporary total loss of perception; depressants and inhalants such as paint, aerosol and rubber cement also frequently do this.

  Hallucinogens like PCP and LSD will distort or impair the function of all senses, depending on the amount consumed and the user's mood. Over time, PCP can deaden senses to the point where the user will experience severe injuries and not notice.

  Narcotics like heroin, cocaine, Oxycontin and opium constrict pupil contraction, negatively affecting vision. Snorting cocaine can cause permanent damage to the nose and sense of smell.

Illness

• Many maladies cause loss or impairment of sensory perception. Some of the most common are cancers, seizures and strokes that effect sensory organs or regions of the brain.

  High fevers, such as meningitis can affect the cochlea, adversely impacting hearing. Alzheimer's, Bell's palsy, liver disease, head trauma and MS are known to impair taste. Congestion and rhinitis, renal failure, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's are known to affect smell. Rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, HIV and vascular disease cause loss of feeling.

Medicine

• Legal drugs also cause loss of sensory perception. Chemotherapy often has a negative effect on one or more senses, depending on the cancer being treated.

  Eye drops, glaucoma and cataract treatments and drugs for bone disease can harm vision. Some critical care medications and antibiotics can cause hearing loss. Hundreds of medications for a plethora of conditions are known to adversely effect taste and touch. Nasal sprays, anti-anginal drugs, anti-microbial agents and anti-thyroid medications harm smell.

Sensory Overload/Deprivation

• Though commonly associated with autism, sensory overload can happen to anyone under stress. Overload is when you become unable to shut out or ignore any incoming stimulus. The barrage of stimulation can become overwhelming to the point where the sufferer will beat himself to offset the intensity of the feeling. This will last until he passes out or is restrained and calmed.

  People placed in a sensory deprivation (or anechoic) chamber, a water-filled cell cut off from all light and sound, begin experiencing hallucinations within 15 minutes. The long-term effects of this are similar to those of hallucinogenic drugs.