Malodour, metaphors, and communication: a linguistic analysis of patients’ expressions on living with unpleasant smells

Background: Several medical diagnoses generate unpleasant smells, which cause suffering for patients. There is no culturally accepted language for malodour, and the topic is encircled by silence in nursing. Aim: To facilitate communication with patients on unpleasant smell. Method: A linguistic analysis of verbal expressions from 11 patients suffering from malodour was conducted. Discourse-based metaphor theory guided the analysis. Findings: Metaphors of comparison and orientation were the most common categories of metaphors. The comparisons referred to bodily waste products and rotting processes. Metaphors of orientation illuminated how the unpleasant smell moved around and settled down in the body and in their homes without the patients’ control. Swearing was used to convey suffering. Conclusion: The figures of speech provided new insight into how malodour affected the patients existentially by threatening social relations, freedom and integrity. Recognizing the patients verbal expressions may act as a starting point for communication.