Do You Smell Popcorn? Pumpkin Pie, or Garlic Bread? How about Skunk?
-Or Does It Smell Like Burnt Toast or Coffee Since You Had Covid-19? Have you had Covid-19 and never completely regained your olfactory senses? (sense of smell).
Most people are born with a sense of smell and use it to warn them when danger is nearby (like something burning), or when food has turned sour/gone bad. But what if you have always had a keen sense of smell and then lost it completely? How would life be different for you? There are many conditions that can influence loss of smell, such as viruses, infections, and brain or head injuries.
Covid-19 brought a new symptom to the array of usual and most common cold/flu symptoms. Parosmia is an abnormal sense of smell and anosmia is a complete or partial loss of smell. Having a loss of smell with cold/flu is nothing new, when it is paired with a stuffy nose, and inflammation in the sinuses, but having a loss of smell without any nasal stuffiness is very unusual and was uncommon until Covid-19 became widespread in early 2020.
According to PubMed -National Library of Medicine, many people experience or have experienced a loss of smell after having COVID-19, but recover their sense of smell and taste within a few weeks. However, 10% will have long-term issues, and normal aromas start to smell abnormal; parosmia. People who have complained of their distorted or complete loss of smell have mentioned burnt coffee or toast aromas in usual circumstances, as their olfactory senses attempt to cover what was lost.
The Mayo Clinic has recommended olfactory (nasal) retraining to help quicken the recovery period of parosmia and anosmia. Items suggested to sniff for their aromatic qualities are eucalyptus, rose, lemons, and clove, and to smell them for several seconds several times a day. www.abscent.org offers a support group and smell-training tips to regain sense of smell.
Having a loss of smell can be a nuisance, and may lead to foods and beverages being less appealing than they once were. Olfactory senses originate from cranial nerve I, in the brain and exits at the upper nose. Research studies continue to try and correlate whether the loss of smell is a direct link between virus damaging the nerves, or if it is host response to the virus by increased cellular modulators. Besides olfactory senses alerting us to danger, our nose also makes us aware of something significant in our presence, or lurking nearby.
SMELL SKUNK?
Recently, loss of smell led to our dog coming into our home after having been skunked. My husband- the unsuspecting violator had no idea the pungent aroma that came wafting in with our pooch! Our dog leapt into bed to cuddle with me the remaining fifteen minutes or so I had before I needed to get up for work, as he normally does. His unpleasant aroma woke me up entirely-mind and body like someone just threw water on my face! It was a fun-filled day of airing out our residence, clothing, and bathing the dog. I apparently have all of my senses intact.
**To share interesting tips/tricks on how to remove skunk smell from animals and or clothing/homes: visit https://www.facebook.com/mynordoniahillsnews/
