Loss of the Sense of Smell After Covid-19
Written by Marin Campbell, PT, DPT and originally posted on www.thriveptandmyofascialrelease.com.
People suffer from a loss (anosmia) or distortion (parosmia) of their sense of smell for a variety of reasons, but many are now experiencing these symptoms as lingering effects of Covid-19.
Dealing with a loss or distortion of your sense of smell affects many aspects of your life and can be debilitating. It can also be isolating because others may not understand how profoundly these conditions affect your ability to do normal, everyday things. Reaching out to others who are experiencing these symptoms or joining a support group can reduce feelings of disconnection and provide encouragement and resources. Fortunately, there are options if you or someone you know is suffering from these conditions.
Smell training involves inhaling a scent that you are familiar with and encouraging your nervous system to reconnect that odor and the familiar smell that is associated with that item in your brain.
Hypnotherapy with a trained practitioner can also be helpful.
“Using hypnosis and somatic imaging, I am treating olfactory and gustatory symptoms that range from not being able to smell or taste at all to the reduced ability to smell or taste specific things. Or in some cases, normally tastes or smells have become unpleasant. Scent and taste experiences around sweet, sour, bitter or salty are experiences we particularly miss when absent or altered. Such loss can affect the quality of our life and even lead to anxiety and depression. Using aromatherapy in conjunction with hypnosis and somatic imaging I have had success in retraining the brain for taste and smell. For more information visit, www.attentiontoliving.com.”
It’s important to integrate as many senses as possible as you retrain your sense of smell. As much as possible, engage your senses of sight and touch as you visualize the scent that you are inhaling. Also, the sense of smell (olfaction) is connected with the emotional center of the brain (the amygdala) and the memory center the hippocampus) and therefore evokes deep emotion and memory.
Smell Training
Essential oils work well for training, as they are concentrated and easy to transport. Find them at natural foods stores like Natural Grocers, Sprouts, Whole Foods, or a local gem/crystal shop.
Choose a scent that is distorted or absent for you, but not one that is so revolting that you feel nauseous or ill when you smell it. Also, it must be a scent you are already very familiar with and ideally, one that you enjoy so that you can invoke a positive memory of how the item looks and smells as you inhale it.
Choose scents from 2-3 categories:
Citrus: lemon, wild orange, tangerine, lime, grapefruit, or bergamot
Floral: rose, ylang ylang, lavender, geranium, or jasmine
Woodsy: cedarwood, sandalwood, juniper, patchouli, or pine
Herbaceous: sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, tea tree, or eucalyptus
Spicy: cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, or cardamom
Steps for Retraining Your Sense of Smell
Acquire 2-3 different scented oils (or actual items like an orange, rosewater, coffee beans, or fresh herbs or spices) that you are familiar with.
Find a quiet place without other smells or distractions.
Have images available to look at and touch while you inhale the scent. For example, if you have lemon oil, have real lemons to handle or images of lemons to look at.
One scent at a time, open an essential oil bottle and inhale while you look at the image and as vividly as possible, imagine/remember the smell of lemons. Spend 30 to 60 seconds inhaling the scent, imagining/remembering the smell, looking at an image, and/or touching the item if you have one.
As best you can, manifest a positive emotion while you are inhaling. This is important! Your nervous system is more likely to reinforce a neural pathway that elicits a positive feeling.
Bonus: if you are able to recall a vivid memory that includes the scent you are training with, this may enhance your ability to reconnect the scent with your brain’s interpretation of it. For example, making lemonade from scratch or giving a bouquet of roses to a loved one. You can use a photograph that invokes the smell if that is helpful.
Tips
Be consistent. When you retrain the nervous system, repetition is key. You must do this frequently and consistently—commit to daily training.
Don’t despair if you don’t see changes immediately. The nervous system can take some time to reset.
As best you can, invoke a positive feeling as you inhale the scents—you are more likely to enhance a neural connection if there is a positive emotion associated with it.
RESOURCES
Facebook groups:
Covid Killed Your Sense of Smell? Here’s How Experts Train People to Get Theirs Back
Downloadable smell training diary, video instruction, instructions for using essential oils or whatever you have on-hand.