Losing smell and taste is one of the primary symptoms of COVID-19, also known as anosmia. A recent study found that people who are recovering from COVID-19 may take up to 5 months and more to regain their smell and taste. As per the experts, COVID-19 can lead to inflammation which can damage the key nerves of your system while affecting the brain senses. However, most people successfully regain their smell and taste within a period of time.
Why Does It Happen?
Anosmia or temporary loss of smell is a neurological symptom and is one of the most common and earliest reported symptoms of COVID-19. According to experts, it can be caused by simple reasons such as a common cold that affects the nose's lining or it can also happen due to serious infection to nerves or the brain.
As per the report of COVID-19 patients, this olfactory dysfunction can take an average time of 21.6 days to 5 months. Both senses of taste and smell are interrelated, therefore, if you lose your sense of smell, it is common to lose the taste. Dr. Rosen says that some people report that they can identify the taste but are not able to smell properly.
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Regaining Smell and Taste
The recovery is found really slow among the patients who had COVID-19 or a stroke. The virus can lead to the death of few cells in the olfactory bulb which is why some patients are seeing the prolonged effect. The Internet got loaded with data explaining how to regain the smell and taste back and some techniques are indeed beneficial. In order to regain your taste and smell senses, you might require to practice some unique exercises also called olfactory training. It uses the neuroplasticity of the body, an ability of the body to create new nerve pathways which help recover the senses of smell. Smelling citrus, perfumes, coffee, or different essential oils is a good way to begin. This will help you identify new scents and recover your taste and smell quickly.
Foods That Promote Recovery
#1 Carom Seeds
Carom seeds or ajwain is one of the most considered and reliable remedies to fight allergies or colds. This Indian spice helps in improving the olfactory senses and minimizes congestion. Take a spoon of carom seeds in a napkin and smell it while taking a deep breath multiple times a day.
#2 Garlic
It is one of the strong immunity-boosting and anti-viral remedies, also used for Ayurveda purposes. It helps soothe inflammation around the nasal passage, and recover breathing issues. Make a hot concoction of water and crushed garlic cloves to restore the sense of taste and smell faster.
#3 Cayenne Pepper or Red Chili Powder
Hot spices like chili powder or cayenne pepper can act as a miracle in restoring your sense of smell as it helps boost the functioning of your olfactory sense. Take a cup of water with some sweetening agents such as honey with cayenne pepper.
#4 Essential Oils
Training your olfactory senses can help rewire your brain to get back your taste and smell on track. Many aromatherapy experts and practitioners suggest COVID patients to try the essential oils (eucalyptus, lemon, clove, and rose oils) thrice a day.
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#5 Castor Oil
One of the potent agents infused with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, castor oil can help relieve allergies and frequent sinusitis pain symptoms while restoring your sense of smell. It can pace the recovery speed of your olfactory senses.
#6 Burnt Orange Sniffing
Consuming or sniffing the flesh of a burnt orange can be proven as a good remedy to train your olfactory senses. Videos on the internet tell the success stories of its assistance in invigorating your senses.
Doctor Assistance to Avoid Long Term Risks
The long-term risks of losing tastes and smell can affect you in many ways, such as you won't be able to smell gas or species while cooking. Eating or cooking food becomes all about the texture as you won't be able to taste or smell the luxury of it. Taking the assistance of doctors is not a bad option as he may prescribe steroid rinse or oral steroids while may ask you to train your smell senses with exercises. If the patients suffer from the same issues for more than six months, they can pick the platelet-rich plasma (PRP), where they trigger a reformative cell growth process by inserting a needle or sponge at the olfactory cleft through the nose.
Nutshell
If you are recovering from COVID-19 and lose the sense of taste and smell, do not worry. In case, you are not able to regain the smell or taste for months, contact a doctor. The Wellness Corner app offers chat, video, or audio one-on-one consultation with expert doctors where you can consult your health issues from home. The sooner you get informed, and go for treatment, the more it is better. Book an RT-PCR test @home with The Wellness Corner app and stay safe.
The biggest challenge then was to find a cure for the deadly coronavirus but the biggest challenge now is to unify people to get vaccinated. Don’t let the sleepless nights of our corona warriors go in vain. If you are eligible, please get yourself vaccinated because there’s nothing more valuable than the life you are blessed with. Save the world from another mass destruction by saving yourself! #IndiaFightsCorona