# The Woman Who Could Smell Parkinson's **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Created:** [April 16, 2026, 3:00pm UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons/17206 "2026-04-16T15:00:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![J.Aishwarya11](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/j.aishwarya11/32/3928_2.png) [@J.Aishwarya11](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/J.Aishwarya11)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2026, 3:00pm UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons/17206/1 "2026-04-16T15:00:01Z")
What if a disease could be detected years before symptoms-- not by tests, but by smell? This is exactly what happened with Joy Milne, whose unusual ability changed how scientists think about diagnosis. _ **Joy Milne** _, a retired nurse from Scotland, first noticed a strange, musky odor on her husband years before he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. At the time, she didn’t realize it meant anything-- until she began noticing the same scent in other patients. Scientists decided to test her ability. In a controlled experiment, she was asked to smell T-shirts worn by people with and without Parkinson’s. She correctly identified all affected individuals-- and even flagged one healthy person who was later diagnosed with the disease. Researchers then discovered that Parkinson’s may alter chemical in _skin oil (sebum)_ creating a distinct smell. This led to the development of experimental _skin swab tests_ that could help diagnose the disease much earlier than current methods. ![Joy milne](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/uploads/medbound/original/2X/4/43f96d9e4148d8bb9c7bf368382299c73084ac56.jpeg) Share your thoughts! MBH/AB ---
**Author:** ![yukta](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/yukta/32/3848_2.png) [@yukta](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/yukta)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2026, 6:49pm UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons/17206/2 "2026-04-16T18:49:08Z")
These rapid breakthroughs in research will only push us further forward. Honestly, such an interesting read. ---
**Author:** ![DrMuskanJethani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/258eb7/32.png) [@DrMuskanJethani](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/DrMuskanJethani)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 8:58am UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons/17206/3 "2026-04-17T08:58:50Z")
Interesting! ---
**Author:** ![Pavithra18](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/pavithra18/32/3913_2.png) [@Pavithra18](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/Pavithra18)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 9:36am UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons/17206/4 "2026-04-17T09:36:08Z")
Very interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Vaishnavi\_34.5](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/vaishnavi_34.5/32/4331_2.png) [@Vaishnavi\_34.5](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/Vaishnavi_34.5)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 9:42am UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons/17206/5 "2026-04-17T09:42:05Z")
Interesting, This shows how human rare ability helps scientist in identifying disease . ---
**Author:** ![Ankita25](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/ankita25/32/3986_2.png) [@Ankita25](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/Ankita25)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 2:31pm UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons/17206/6 "2026-04-17T14:31:53Z")
This is something new. ---
**Author:** ![MiriyalaSmarshitha](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/miriyalasmarshitha/32/3202_2.png) [@MiriyalaSmarshitha](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/MiriyalaSmarshitha)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 4:55pm UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons/17206/7 "2026-04-17T16:55:48Z")
Such an interesting breakthrough! It blows my mind how the human body works and the fascinating ways it showcases the uniqueness and differences among individuals. ---
**Author:** ![Kartikkandalkar](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/kartikkandalkar/32/4385_2.png) [@Kartikkandalkar](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/Kartikkandalkar)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 5:52pm UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons/17206/8 "2026-04-17T17:52:06Z")
Intresting ! Read something different . For now this cannot be used as an examination tool but further more studies will take place and many more things will be discovered . ---
**Author:** ![Anushree\_Poojari2025](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/anushree_poojari2025/32/3958_2.png) [@Anushree\_Poojari2025](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/Anushree_Poojari2025)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 5:56pm UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons/17206/9 "2026-04-17T17:56:07Z")
Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![DrPal\_28](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/drpal_28/32/4329_2.png) [@DrPal\_28](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/DrPal_28)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 6:18pm UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons/17206/10 "2026-04-17T18:18:47Z")
Interesting , how an individual’s observation lead to a new diagnostic pathway. ---
**Author:** ![DrPreya\_28](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/drpreya_28/32/4391_2.png) [@DrPreya\_28](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/DrPreya_28)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 6:55pm UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons/17206/11 "2026-04-17T18:55:55Z")
Interesting to know about this. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Pberry](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/dr.pberry/32/3980_2.png) [@Dr.Pberry](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/Dr.Pberry)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2026, 8:17am UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons/17206/12 "2026-04-19T08:17:57Z")
This is honestly fascinating. Never thought a smell-based observation could lead to real Parkinson’s research. It really shows how unexpected human experiences can push science forward in new directions. ---
**Author:** ![Aditya\_97](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex033/user_avatar/www.medboundhub.com/aditya_97/32/4474_2.png) [@Aditya\_97](https://www.medboundhub.com/u/Aditya_97)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2026, 8:20am UTC](https://www.medboundhub.com/t/the-woman-who-could-smell-parkinsons/17206/13 "2026-04-19T08:20:03Z")
Interesting post