It’s been a week since a strong cold completely took away my sense of smell. It’s almost 100% that I went through c.o.v.i.d. I am grateful to my immune system for not having any more serious symptoms. However, this type of anosmia is not the same as the loss of smell caused by colds. While in the case of common cold, nasal congestion causes the smell to weaken and disappear, here the olfactory nerves are damaged. As a result, one is unable to feel any smells and flavours. Appetite is also significantly reduced and this can lead to weight loss and deficiency diseases. It can also be dangerous if you do not smell rotten food, smell gas or smoke.
Pretty scary, but don’t panic! Awareness and vigilance matter a lot. The first day, as my nose cleared and I realized I couldn’t smell anything, I was in despair because I heard that there are people whose anosmia is permanent and will last a lifetime. Luckily, I soon overcame myself in despair and started researching. It turned out that in most cases, the sense of smell is fully restored.
But it does matter how! This is because in many cases the nerve connections become confused, so we also perceive false smells. For example, cinnamon - what you loved until then - can become disgusting. That's why it is very important to train your nose from the onset of symptoms! There is a lot of training up on youtube but everyone can create their own. Regularity is very important, 2-3 times a day, for 3-4 months. If you are eating, chew every bite thoroughly and recall the taste and flavour of the food. If you smoke, put down your cigarette and never light it again! You may feel it disgusting anyway.
In my method, instead of the usual 4 basic scents, there are 8 scents in the form of essential oils. Why 8? Because that’s all there is at home, I often use them for disinfection, bathing, inhaling, or simply smelling them.
My scents are:
Jasmine, Rosewood, Orange, Eucalyptus, Lemongrass, Tea tree, Lavender, Peppermint.
Of course, it’s not mandatory to stick to these scents, and you can skip some of them. For example, lemon is good instead of orange. Instead of tea tree, pine is also good. If you have a favorite perfume, you can also use it.
How to do that?
Put a drop of essential oil on adsorbent paper. It is a good idea to put the paper in a lockable, dark small bottle so that you can use it for a long time. Smell the essential oil papers one by one, with small sniffs, and recall the scent in your memories. Give yourself time and wait a minute or two between scents, or you can even rinse your nose with lightly salt water.
Repeat the training 2 or 3 times daily.
I didn't feel anything in the first 2-3 days! Not even the strongest mint and tea tree oil! I can feel it all today, even if only to a small extent!
You can also keep a diary of how your sense of smell improves.
Warning! Essential oils can be dangerous! Avoid contact with eyes, mouth and mucous membranes. Do not inhale them too tightly! Do not use them with an open flame as they are flammable and keep them out of the reach of small children! If you are allergic to any of them, stop using it immediately!
Incenses
You can’t just train your nose with essential oils. If you like incense sticks, light one and only burn it half or a quarter. Use only those that are of good quality and free of harmful substances. White sage is my favorite. Palo Santo resin wood is also a good choice. Resinous Palo Santo wood is also a good choice, smoke for up to 5 minutes. Do not inhale the smoke from the incense sticks or Palo Santo directly!
Here, too, it’s important to stop working for a few minutes and focus on the scent, recall your memory!
Artificial fragrances
Forget about cheap Christmas scented candles because almost all of them contain harmful, carcinogenic substances! Just burn a beeswax candle, also for a short time! And most importantly: ventilate often!
About food and spices
Just because you don’t feel your usual spices, don’t leave them yet! Use them as before! My lunch today was a vegan Moroccan lentil soup full of wonderful oriental spices, including cumin, cardamom, ginger. I don't even remember the last time I ate meat. I don't wish at all! After all, meat is not delicious in itself, spices make it so.
Cocoa, coffee, chocolate and other sweeties
Since I don’t sense these flavors, I don’t even want to. I feel the same with muesli, cinnamon cookies. They are just sweet, sometimes a little sour, coffee is bitter, completely uncharacteristic anyway.
As a result, I expect to lose a few pounds, but I make sure my body gets all the nutrients.
Other useful things
Buy a neti pot and rinse your nose every morning with slightly salty water (only be as salty as you can drink).
Every morning, rinse your mouth and throat with salt water and scrape off the plaque from your tongue. To prevent the nasal mucosa from drying out, use a nasal drop containing vitamin A 2-3 times a day.
I hope I could help you a lot with this advice. They worked for me anyway!