How to regain your sense of smell and taste after Covid

Millions of people around the world are trying to adjust to a life without smell or taste after being infected with Covid-19.

For the majority, this olfactory dysfunction only lasts a few days or weeks, but some still suffer months after contracting the virus. A study last year found between 700,000 and 1.6 million people in the United States had lost or changed their sense of smell for more than six months. after having covid.

And the authors of the study – published in the Open Jama Network newspaper – warned that these figures were “probably an underestimate”, reported CNN.

The causes

The “precise cause” of the sensory loss linked to the coronavirus is not known, said Sky News, but experts think it’s linked to “damage to infected cells in a part of the nose called the olfactory epithelium.” Cells in this area of ​​the nasal cavity protect the olfactory neurons that allow humans to smell.

A study published in the Natural genetics newspaper this week suggests that genetics plays a key role in determining whether a person loses or experiences a change in their sense of smell and taste after being infected with Covid-19.

Analysis of DNA data from nearly 70,000 adults in the UK and US with Covid found that those who had ‘certain genetic adjustments’ on a chromosome near two olfactory genes, called UGT2A1 and UGT2A24, were 11% more likely to lose the ability to smell or taste than people without the changes, explained Scientific News.

The researchers suggested that the genetic variants “could affect how the two genes are turned on or off to somehow disrupt odor during an infection,” the site said.

Potential remedies

A related and lesser-known symptom of Covid is parosmia, where people experience smell distortion after contracting the virus. Certain odor molecules can act as triggers, which vary from person to person, but often include flavors like coffee, meat, and eggs.

According to Fifth Sense, a charity for people affected by smell and taste disorders, around 25,000 UK adults who have had Covid have been affected by parosmia, which “can mean food gives off an odor or an unpleasant taste, such as rotting meat or chemicals. “, say it BBC.

Although there is currently no cure for parosmia, Fifth Sense and experts from the University of East Anglia have created an online guide for a “smell training technique” that advocates say can help anyone who has experienced a loss or change in their sense of smell.

The training normally involves sniffing at least four distinctive smells, such as oranges, coffee or garlic, twice a day for several months to retrain the brain to recognize different smells.

Another potential treatment for olfactory dysfunction is steroids – anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat a range of conditions from eczema to arthritis. In addition to suppressing inflammation, they work by reducing the activity of the immune system.

Although steroids can cause increased appetite, mood swings, and trouble sleeping, they “don’t tend to cause significant side effects” if taken for a short time or at low levels. dose, depending on NHS website.

Spontaneous recovery

Experts have argued that smell training is preferable to steroids for people suffering from a lack of smell and taste as a result of Covid. Professor Carl Philpott of the University of East Anglia describes smell training as “a cheap, simple treatment option with no side effects.”

He added that “fortunately” the majority of people who experience a loss of smell and taste due to the virus end up regaining those senses “spontaneously”.