Having Trouble Smelling After COVID-19? Smell Training Could Help

Health Information Relationships


The goal of smell therapy, then, is “to stimulate your sense of smell and assist with your recovery,” Dr. Locke continues. By using physical and psychological elements to reteach the olfactory system, Dr. Sindwani says, patients can use “memory and experience to train those nerves to come back to life.”

Should you try smell therapy for COVID-related smell loss?

Though smell therapy has been around for more than a decade, researchers are looking at it with renewed interest due to the fact that loss of smell is so common after COVID-19, Dr. Sindwani says. But the loss of smell after COVID-19 is typically temporary. Although it may take weeks or months, that sense of smell usually comes back on its own. In that case, is olfactory therapy still worth a shot?

Most people will regain their sense of smell within a few weeks after COVID-19, Dr. Locke says, but it might not be exactly the way you remember it. “It may not be 100% or it may be altered from what it was previously,” she explains. So if you’re experiencing a prolonged loss of smell or you’re finding that your sense of smell isn’t up to snuff, smell therapy might be a simple way to speed the healing process up.

Smell therapy for COVID-related smell loss is a relatively new area of study because the coronavirus has only been around for a little over a year, Dr. Locke says. But there is some promising research that suggests it’s worth a shot. For instance, a 2020 review study in the International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology, researchers looked at 36 past studies about smell therapy for virus-related loss of smell (but not COVID-19 specifically). The authors concluded that smell therapy could be helpful for this kind of smell loss, especially because it’s relatively cheap, safe, and convenient.

And, for a small preliminary study published in January 2021 in the European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, researchers looked at 27 people who had persistent smell loss at least five weeks after COVID-19 (but were not hospitalized during their illness). Of those participants, 9 were given 10 days of oral corticosteroids along with olfactory training and 18 participants received olfactory training only. Although some patients in the smell-training-only group did experience improvements in their sense of smell 10 weeks later, only those who received smell training with the corticosteroids saw a statistically significant improvement.

This study suggests that smell training can help some patients who are dealing with prolonged loss of smell after COVID-19, especially when paired with corticosteroid medications. But the study is quite small, and there is some controversy about the use of corticosteroids in COVID-19 patients. As research into this area continues, we’ll get a better sense of how much smell therapy on its own can help people dealing with this issue.

In practice, Dr. Locke and Dr. Sindwani both say they’ve had success in treating patients with smell loss from COVID-19 through smell therapy alone. As long as patients don’t have other possible reasons for their lack of smell (such as nasal polyps or head trauma), they continue to recommend that people give it a try.

“It’s a very simple kind of approach,” Dr. Sindwani says. “There are no side effects and it’s patient-driven, which are all great things that you would want in therapy.”

If you’re having COVID-related smell issues, this therapy might help.

Though smell loss from COVID-19 is often temporary, if that’s something you’re experiencing, Dr. Locke says it might be worth it to be proactive and consult with your doctor or an otolaryngologist to see if smell training would be a good option for you. Insurance generally doesn’t cover smell therapy, but the necessary oils tend to be relatively affordable (in the $10 to $30 range).

There are other treatment options for prolonged COVID-related loss of smell, such as intranasal medications and corticosteroids. They can even be used alongside smell training to help patients. But because smell training has so few potential risks and is generally cost-effective, experts say it’s worth considering for people who are dealing with smell loss after having the coronavirus.

PropellerAds

“Smell training has been around for a while, is very safe to do, and it doesn’t hurt to try,” Dr. Locke explains. “I think patients will be surprised with that kind of progress.”

Related:

https://www.self.com/story/smell-training-after-covid-19

To Find More Information, Go To Saubio Digital And Look Up Any Topic

Please follow and like us: Share This Post


Take a look at our comprehensive guide to the best and most popular information ebooks and products available today on Detoxing, Colon Cleansing, Weight Loss and Dating and Romance. They are all in one spot, easy to find and compere to make a quick selection for the product that best fits your needs or wants.

So browse through a category and make your  preferred selection and come back here to read  more choice articles and get a few more helpful tips on ways to help your enhancement.



Detoxing Reviews

Best Body Detoxification Guides & reviews





Colon Cleanse Reviews

Best Colon Cleanse Guides & Reviews





Weight Loss Ebook Reviews

Weight loss products really work! Click here





Dating and Romance Ebook Reviews

Looking for Dating Guides? Click here





Free Traffic System - Increase Targeted Website Traffic with Free Unlimited One Way Links

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. “saubiosaubiosuccess.com is a participant in third party affiliate and advertising programs; The Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Awin network, and other affiliate advertising programs are designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees and commissions by advertising and linking to products on other sites and on Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Saubio's Guide & Tools