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Loss of taste or smell is one of the most common consequences of contracting the coronavirus. The latter sense loses up to 90 percent. people with mild COVID-19 symptoms. Scientists are constantly looking for a way to regain the sense of smell as soon as possible or at all. As it turns out, olfactory training may be an effective therapy. What is it about?
- The sense of smell or taste loses 60 to 90 percent. people infected with the coronavirus
- Training your sense of smell can be a way to regain your sense of smell. We can use scents that are easy to find in the kitchen
- It can be more difficult with taste. Scientists are testing how steroids and aerosols can help
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
We first heard about the fact that coronavirus infection can cause a loss of smell or taste in March 2020. It is estimated that 60 to 90 percent of these disorders experience these disorders. sick, and in 10 percent. when infected, they are persistent. So far, over 100 million people have been affected by the virus worldwide, which means that at least 6 million people have been or are tasteless and tasteless.
Smell training is a therapy that has been used by olfactologists, i.e. specialists in olfactory disorders, for some time. Professor Carl Philpott from the University of East Anglia writes about one of them on the website «The Conservation».
The specialist writes that in traditional medicine, so far, little attention has been paid to the loss of smell, so there is no clinical research on this issue. This is why According to scientists, at the moment the best way to regain your sense is to train your sense of smell.
As emphasized by prof. Philpott, this training has no detrimental effects on the user, does not require a prescription, is inexpensive, and can be done at home.
It consists in repeated short-term stimulation of the sense of smell. Training brings great results for people who have lost their sense of smell as a result of a cold. It is not yet known how effective it is when the loss of smell was caused by the coronavirus.
- The sense of smell loses 86 percent. people with mild COVID-19 symptoms
It is best to use four fragrances for training: clove, rose, lemons and eucalyptus. The aromas of lemon and orange peel, nutmeg, mint, ground coffee, coconut and vanilla can also be helpful. It is mainly about fragrances that are intense and pleasant at the same time or evoke pleasant associations.
Smell training stimulates special nerve cells to help restore the olfactory function. Some studies show that training can also affect the areas of the brain responsible for smell.
The scents used for training should be changed every 12 weeks. The longer we stimulate the cells, the better the results will be. So don’t be discouraged by the poor results at the beginning, although if you lose your sense of smell or taste for a long time, you will need the help of a specialist.
The taste was taken care of by Dr. Kathleen Jordan and Dr. Omid Mehdizadeh.
– The perception of taste and smell is caused by chemical receptors in the mouth and nose. Receptors respond to molecules in their environment and then send information through a complex neural network to the brain, says Dr. Jordan, an infectious disease specialist, in an interview with Bustle.
- Prof. Butowt: up to 90 percent patients with COVID-19 exhibit changes in smell and taste
The problem with taste occurs in 30-70 percent. COVID-19 patients. How to regain this sense? First of all, wait. Research shows that 73 percent. patients regain taste within six weeks. However, if this sense does not come back, therapy must be applied.
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– Nasal sprays and systemic steroids can be helpful, but they should be used as directed by a doctor – says otolaryngologist Dr. Mehdizadeh. Steroids are known to help recover the taste lost by viruses, but the effectiveness of this method in post-COVID-19 therapy has not yet been thoroughly investigated.
Dr. Jordan also mentions other methods of successfully restoring taste. A 2017 study found that sodium citrate nasal spray helped people with viral loss of taste. The effectiveness of nasal sprays with vitamin A or omega-3 acids is also tested. “They can act because of their neuroregenerative or anti-inflammatory properties,” says Dr. Jordan.
The editorial board recommends:
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- Why do coronavirus patients lose their sense of smell? Scientists found the cause
- What does the COVID-19 vaccination look like? [WE EXPLAIN]
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