How to get back your sense of smell after COVID-19, according to science
What is smell training?
Smell training is a therapy that has been used by experts in smell disorders (olfactologists) for some time. It has the benefit of having no harmful effects on those who use it. It is also something that doesn’t need a prescription, is cheap , and can easily be done at home.
Several studies performed over the last decade suggest thatrepeated short-term exposure to smellsmay help people who have lost their sense of smell. In particular, those who have lost their sense of smell as the result of viruses, such as the common cold,appear to benefit. But we still don’t know if this works for COVID-19 smell loss specifically, although there is no reason to suspect the benefits will be any different.
Thetraditional formatfor smell training has been to use the four smells of clove, rose, lemon, and eucalyptus. However, there are different items from the home that provide a range of smells – so people can select smells that they know they found to be pleasant or have a connection with.
Lemon and orange rind, nutmeg, clove, mint, eucalyptus, ground coffee, coconut, and vanilla are all common items that can be used. A good guide to the technique can be found on the charity websiteFifth Sense.
Smell training stimulates theturnover of the specialized nerve cells, helping to restore smell function. Some research shows that changes in thebrain smell areasmay happen too.
More recent studies have suggested that the four smells used for training should bechanged every 12 weeks. The results of this new approach show that greater recovery of smell function can be achieved.Further researchalso shows that the longer the training continues, in terms of the number of weeks, the better. So keep going as it’s not an instant result.
Ultimately, anyone experiencing prolonged symptoms may need to seek further medical advicefrom their doctoror seek a referral to a specialist clinic, especially if they are experiencing disabling smell distortions, known as parosmia. Nonetheless, smell training is an easy and simple starting point to recovery.
This article byCarl Philpott, Professor of Rhinology and Olfactology,University of East Angliais republished fromThe Conversationunder a Creative Commons license. Read theoriginal article.
Story byThe Conversation
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