How to restore the sense of smell and taste after infection with the Corona virus

Arab Weather - Often the first sign of infection with the emerging corona virus ( COVID-19 ) is the loss of the sense of taste and smell, and this may happen even with people who do not show other symptoms of infection, but this usually does not last for a long time, as the patient may regain the sense of smell And the taste after several days of infection, but in some cases it may extend to months, so what is the reason for losing the sense of smell and taste? How can they be recovered?

Why does a person with the emerging corona virus lose the sense of taste and smell?

Loss of smell may be known during and after infection with respiratory viruses, and this usually occurs due to the occurrence of other symptoms such as runny or closure of the nasal passages, but this is not the case with the Corona virus, as a person with Corona virus loses the sense of smell before any respiratory symptoms appear .

The emerging corona virus ( COVID-19 ) is a unique type of respiratory virus that has the ability to quickly access the nervous system, this means that the virus travels easily through the nose and attaches itself to the olfactory nerve at the top of the nose, which is responsible for transmitting sensory information related to smell to your brain .

What is the relationship of the sense of smell to taste?

In general, people can recognize the taste, such as sweet, sour, salty, and bitter, but if you cannot smell, you cannot distinguish between something like cherry or grape, both of which only taste sweet.

Therefore, when a person suffers from a loss of sense of smell, he also loses the sense of taste, because the smell of food travels to the base of the tongue, and then ascends to the nose to be able to distinguish between different foods, and you perceive the taste of grapes from the taste of cherries.

How to restore the sense of taste and smell after recovering from the Corona virus

Numerous videos have surfaced online of people trying to stimulate the taste buds with aromatic foods such as biting onions like an apple, while some of these attempts may seem silly, they may actually work.

These things are similar to those for training on the sense of smell, as the olfactory training actually uses the flexibility of neural body, the body 's ability to form new neural pathways. These techniques help the body create new nerve pathways and restore the sense of smell .

If you have had coronavirus or have recently recovered from it but are still experiencing a loss of smell and taste, you can start early smelling exercises. Alp ha lipoic acid , vitamin A supplements, and over-the-counter steroid nasal sprays may be helpful, and olfactory training can be done at home to restore the work of the olfactory nerves in the nose.

A study has shown that the lack of zinc in the body contributes to the delay in the return of the sense of smell to the recovering person, so it is recommended that patients who have delayed return of the sense of smell to take a high dose of zinc (under the supervision of a doctor), and the person, God willing, will regain the sense of smell .

As for smelling exercises at home, it includes smelling things that are available in the house. You can start smelling the smell of coffee, perfumes, citrus fruits, or different types of essential oils, and after you succeed in identifying a specific smell, it will transfer to a new smell. There are no negative effects of performing these exercises, and data have shown that they help patients recover quickly.

For example, if you choose lemon as one of the scents for your exercise, you can use some grated lemon peel. While inhaling the substance, focus your thoughts on the lemon and try to remember what your experience with lemons was and how it smelled and tasted.

This is not an immediate fix, but over time this should help you regain your lost sense of smell.

How long does it take for the sense of smell to return?

The good news is that loss of sense of smell and taste is temporary, and most patients recover quickly, but recovery time varies from patient to patient, while some recover within days, some may take months. Patients who have lost their sense of smell may have side effects such that when their sense of smell returns, things can smell very bad for them.

Any sign of scent marking is a good sign of healing. This means that some nerve regeneration is taking place, and the nerves responsible for odor recognition have not yet returned to normal . This is the time to do more training in the sense of smell to help stimulate the olfactory nerve.

Negative effects of loss of sense of smell and taste

The most dangerous part of not having the sense of taste and smell is the inability to smell harmful gases, in addition to the difficulty of cooking and differentiation of food, which leads to weight loss problems. Socially, food is one of the things that bind people. A person may prefer isolation when he finds himself unable to share the same way of eating with friends and family.