OLFACTORY TRAINING
Anosmia: Loss of sense of smell
Ageusia: Loss of sense of taste
Hyposmia: Reduced ability to smell
Some people are born with the inability to smell and taste. Some have lost these senses through the use of medications or from different infections and health problems. The most common cause, however, has been through the Covid19 infection. Though many have been able to regain the sense of smell and taste after a few weeks .... others still suffer months after the infection has subsided.
Researchers are still trying to determine how and why the COVID-19 virus affects smell and taste. One study suggests the virus doesn’t directly damage olfactory sensory neurons. Instead, it may affect cells that support these neurons. This means the sense of smell has not truly been lost, but the sensory signals are no longer trasmitting and being interpreted correctly. This means you can retrain the sense perception through exercises.
Why Retraining is Important
The loss of your smell and taste can really have an impact on quality of life and safety.
- Smell directly impacts the sense of taste > about 80% of the flavors we taste arrive from what we smell
- meals lose their appeal > eating too little can lead to malnutrition, dehydration and unhealthy weight loss
- adding additional flavor enhancers like sugar and salt > increases your risk of diabetes and high blood pressure
- Smell can be the first thing to alert you to danger, such as smoke, natural gas, harmful chemicals or rotten food
- The sense of smell is closely tied to the amygdala portion of the brain > plays a significant role in memory
- sense of smell can impact emotions and mental health
- Lack of appetite combined with an inability to smell pleasurable scents may contribute to depression, anxiety and isolation
OLFACTORY
RETRAINING PROTOCOL
When it comes to COVID-19, as many as 70% to 80% of people who become infected experience a loss of taste and smell, specifically among cases that are more mild. For the majority, this loss may last anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. However, as many as 40% to 45% will experience "parosmia". There are many studies regarding the use of essential oils to "retrain" the olfactory system. Olfactory training involves repeat and deliberate sniffing .... relaxed, slow, short, gentle sniffs (bunny sniffs) .... of a set of odorants .... commonly lemon, rose, clove, and eucalyptus (fruit, floral, spice and tree) for 20 seconds a minimum of twice daily (wait 5 minutes between each scent) .... for at least 3 months or longer. It is recommended to switch scents every 12 weeks. Consistency is a key to any successful protocol.
- lemon, rose, clove and eucalyptus are the recommended smells > use smells you recognise and enjoy (e.g. peppermint, orange, lavender, etc)
- drop a few drops in a jar, on a pad or cotton ball about an inch away from your nose
- take slow, relaxed, gentle sniffs for 20 seconds .... 5 minutes apart .... while envisioning a pleasant memory (candy canes for peppermint, etc)
- twice a day (morning and night) minimum for 12 weeks
- switch scents every 12 weeks
HELPFUL TIPS
In addition to the "Olfactory Training", here are a few additional tips that may be helpful:
- Stop Smoking: cigarette smoking can drastically impair the sense of smell, as well as the body’s ability to heal.
- Castor Oil: the main component of castor oil, ricinoleic acid, help fight infections. It also helps reduce inflammation inside the nasal passage, which speeds healing and may help recover the loss of smell. To use it, gently warm castor oil in a glass of warm water. Place two drops in each nostril twice a day.
- Zinc: vital nutrient in the process of cellular regeneration .... think wound healing. It helps stem cells replicate used, aged or damaged receptor cells in the nose and mouth. Helps your immune system and metabolism function. Taking a zinc supplement may encourage your smell to recover more quickly. A word of caution though: Avoid zinc nasal sprays and do not take hyper-doses of zinc, as this can actually worsen anosmia. (Consider a "liquid ionic zinc".)
- Vit A: Supports growth and repair of olfactory endings
- Vit C: Combats free radicals and important for cellular health
- Vit D3: Boosts immune function
- Vit B-12: Supports the respiratory system and proper olfactory function
- Spleen/Lung: from a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) perspective .... sense of smell is related to the lungs and the sense of taste is related to the spleen .... Valor essential oil blend applied over the spleen throughout the day has been beneficial.
ACTION PLAN
- from this group select one from each category using smells you recognise and enjoy (lemon, rose, clove, eucalyptus are the recommended options)
- fruit: Lemon, Orange, Lime, Grapefruit
- floral: Rose, Geranium, Joy, Lavender
- spice: Black Pepper, Clove, Thieves, Oregano, Peppermint
- tree: Norther Lights Black Spruce, Pine, Eucalyptus Radiata, Cypress, Juniper
- Examples:
- Orange + Lavender + Clove + Eucalyptus Radiata + Valor
- Lemon + Geranium + Thieves + Pine + Valor
- Lemon + Rose + Clove + Eucalyptus Radiata + Valor
- Examples:
- add a few drops in a jar, or on a pad or cotton ball about an inch away from your nose
- take slow, relaxed, gentle sniffs for 20 seconds .... 5 minutes apart .... while envisioning a pleasant memory (candy canes for peppermint, etc)
- twice a day (morning and night) minimum for 12 weeks
- switch scents every 12 weeks
- OPTIONAL: apply Valor on spleen several times throughout the day
