Loss of smell is one of the characteristic symptoms of covid disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this symptom is called anosmia and is very common during and after COVID-19. According to a 2020 study published in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and cited on healthdigest.com, the majority of patients surveyed lost their sense of smell during their illness but fully or partially regained it within 4 weeks. In some patients, partial or complete loss of smell is observed up to 6 months after the onset of the disease.
Important! The article is informative. If you are suffering from a loss of smell or any other symptom, seek immediate medical attention.
Loss of smell is not as harmless a symptom as it seems. Lack of smell can negatively affect the quality of life. In addition to loss of smell, which can lead to depression and sadness, loss of smell can be a prerequisite for overeating or undereating. According to journals.plosone.org, smell is directly related to the taste of food. In its absence, a person is likely to overeat or undereat.
Another potential danger of losing your sense of smell is the risk of accidents at home that you cannot smell, such as gas leaks, smoke, fire, and rotten or spoiled food.
Loss of smell is a problem that, unfortunately, may not disappear for a long time. To try and regain your ability to smell your surroundings, you can try some exercises to speed up the healing process and get your nose working again.
Sense of smell exercises
According to a systematic analysis of data from 2015, the sense of smell can be restored through the so-called “smell training” or “smell training”. Dr. Jennifer Ravis Decker of UCHealth, quoted by healthdigest.com, said that the sense of smell is linked to memory, and using memories of different smells can make the nose work again.
The easiest way to do this is with essential oils, because they have a richer and more noticeable smell. You can start with traditional scents that are familiar to your brain – eucalyptus, mint, lemon, rose, carnation. The memories of these smells, coded in your mind, can help your brain remember what these oils smell like so your nose can work again.
Keep bottles of essential oils throughout your home so you can smell them as you walk by. For example, you can put a jar of lavender oil next to your bed. Thus, lavender will help you not only relieve stress and stimulate sleep, but also restore your sense of smell, because it is a familiar and pleasant smell.
Smell the essential oils as soon as you wake up. This will train your nose and provoke it to smell familiar smells again.
Washing with saline
According to the ENT Department of the Regional Medical Center in Rutland, UK, regularly rinsing the nose with saline can speed up the process of smell recovery. Perseverance is needed, as for some people it can take up to several weeks.