Loss of smell after Corona: You can do that

Many corona infected people suffer from a loss of smell, sometimes even after the infection. Here you can find out what you can do against the loss of smell.

Loss of smell and taste does not sound that bad at first compared to the other symptoms of a corona infection. The problem, however, is that even months after an infection, the sense of smell and taste does not return in many of those affected. In the long run, this can be quite stressful.

In this article you can read what can help against loss of smell due to corona disease.

Loss of smell: The underestimated symptom of a corona infection

48 to 85 percent of those infected suffer from an odor disorder during infection with the coronavirus. Normally, the symptoms go away after a while. However, up to ten percent of cases develop a chronic odor disorder that lasts longer than six months.

The loss of smell is probably triggered by damage to the so-called supporting cells, which are located near the olfactory cells and supply them with metabolic products, among other things. This means that the coronavirus attacks and destroys cells involved in the sense of smell.

An odor disorder is not only annoying, it can also be dangerous. For example, in the event of a fire, those affected cannot smell the smoke, which is often a life-saving warning sign. Burnt food in the pan or in the oven can also become a serious problem with odor loss. In addition, the loss of the sense of smell also reduces the quality of life.

Loss of Smell: Treatments and Medications

According to Thomas Hummel, head of the Interdisciplinary Center for Smell and Taste at the University Hospital Dresden, the sensory cells can regenerate. However, that takes time. He explains in the medical journal how those affected can speed up the return of their sense of smell. Smell training with essential oils can double or triple the speed of recovery.

Hummel recommends the scents of rose, lemon, eucalyptus and clove. These are good because they belong to different fragrance categories and thus activate different olfactory receptors. If you want to combat odor loss in this way, you should pay attention to the following:

1. Always practice with each fragrance for at least 15 seconds in the morning and evening.
2. Hold a smelling pen/bottle with the essential oil (you can stick over the labels beforehand) with the respective fragrance a few centimeters in front of your nose and try to guess the fragrance. It is important that you concentrate on the scent as much as possible.
3. After two or three months you can change the scents. Make sure that you choose one fragrance from each of the following fragrance categories:

• Fruity (for example: bergamot oil, orange oil, grapefruit)
• Floral (for example: rose geranium, palmarosa, lavender oil, vanilla)
• Spicy (for example: anise oil, rosemary oil, thyme oil, clove bud, coffee powder)
• Resinous-fresh (for example: pine needles, peppermint oil, silver fir)

In addition to the daily smell training: If you make yourself a coffee in the morning, then first carefully sniff the ground coffee. You can do the same with anise or peppermint tea. You can try the same procedure when cooking with different organic spices. Over time, you may notice nuances of the different smells.

Research is currently working on drugs to counteract odor loss. Nevertheless, there are still many open questions. For example, researchers have developed a special nasal spray that, according to tests, was no more successful than smell training. Other researchers were more successful: a treatment involving the injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), obtained from your own blood, brought promising results. This treatment method is currently being further researched and tested.

Read more on Techzle.com:

• Regardless of Corona: Can I get sick leave by phone again soon?
• Eucalyptus oil: effect, application and possible side effects
• Disposing of the Corona rapid test: In which garbage does the self-test belong?