A few weeks ago many people lost their sense of smell. They are still waiting for it to return

(CNN) — “I couldn’t wake up and taste or smell anything, it was the most sensitive thing I’ve ever experienced,” says Londoner Holly Bourne.

Bones were not widely recognized Coronavirus symptoms — Cough or high fever — Therefore, you are not eligible for testing by the UK National Health Service (NHS). However, the experience of sudden loss of her sense of smell was combined with “a strange head rush”, and due to headache and fatigue, doctors diagnosed “straight out of the bat.” COVID-19 on the phone.

Although there is no firm research yet on the relationship between coronaviruses and odors, doctors have reported by example that losing the ability to smell may be one of the symptoms of the virus.

“I’m lucky without really scary symptoms,” says the 33-year-old author. However, she describes loss of smell, or anesthesia, as “one of the most unpleasant things I have ever experienced because you are not in the driver’s seat …”. I am really helpless and scared. “

Apart from the psychological consequences of believing that you have caught a deadly virus, and how losing the sense of smell removes the pleasure of eating food, anesthesia is also dangerous.

As Bourne discovered when her boyfriend asked why a plastic margarine tub was melting on a stove in a London house. While making the sandwich, she turned her back, but could not detect any synthetic burnt smell.

Born turned the answer to Google and social media, as there are no official health authorities advice available, as well as dozens of people experiencing the loss of odors that CNN spoke for this article. Was. She shared what she found in a Twitter thread. There are reports that the odor sensation has not returned after three to four weeks.

During the coronavirus pandemic, many people experiencing new onset or low olfactory sensation (partial loss of odor) want to know how long it lasts . Is it permanent?

The answer is unknown, according to Professor Steven Manger, director of the University of Florida Center for Smell and Taste.

“ We have long known that one of the main causes of olfactory loss is viral upper respiratory tract infections-colds, flu-some people lose their sense of smell, most of them temporarily But a small subset loses that smell forever, “Manger tells CNN.

To return to the sense of smell, “It can take days, weeks, and sometimes months or years. Sometimes it’s gradual, sometimes it’s all at once, Do not really know why it is.

“I’ve been nearly two weeks away, and about 70% of my sense of smell has returned. One nostril works better than the other,” says Bourne.

Mark Driver, a 55-year-old winemaker from London, contacted a former colleague who tested positive for Covid-19 in Dubai and began to feel cough, sore throat, and mild temperature. Around day 8 of the driver’s illness, he lost his sense of smell. “This coincided with a very severe headache in front of my head, just above my eyes,” he says.

“The smell was so important to my work that I was a little worried that it might not return.” For twenty days after he first got sick, the driver said his wine tasting was ” “Fearful,” but he still says he doesn’t smell at all.

Sian Griffiths, a 60-year-old who normally runs a B & B in Argyle, Scotland, began to get tired on March 28 and noticed that the smell had disappeared while cooking the curry the next day. “I inadvertently chewed the Cardamom pod and realized that it didn’t taste. This was rather embarrassed because there were no other symptoms, such as nasal congestion,” she says.

Like many other people in the UK, she did not contact local health services because she followed government guidelines and had no coughing or fever. But she was worried a few days later. “I stabbed my nose in a coffee jar-nothing. Whiskey-nothing. Fly bacon-not a hint.”

“Everything I hate and hate was because I wasn’t sure if I was actually eating it,” Griffith adds.

According to Manger, the problem of whether people are experiencing a loss of smell or a loss of taste results in a scientific or colloquial use of the word taste. “When scientists talk about taste, they’re talking about what you can detect in your mouth that gives you a sense-sweetness, saltiness, bitterness, sourness, or umami (flavor). But taste and smell are what your brain combines to create the flavor function, “explains Manger.

Griffith noticed that when the sense of smell was lost, he had no idea if food was gone or not, stating that “ sniffing a bottle of milk happens almost automatically before pouring it in time for spinning. ” Was. Griffith talks about day 12 without complete olfaction. It is as if several molecules are passing through. I was painting woodwork a few days ago and smelled of fresh paint. Now it has about 10% smell and taste. “

More than three weeks ago, on March 18, London finance and business manager Amy Walker, 30, felt as if he had a terrible cold and lost his sense of smell.

“I was very lethargic and going from bed to toilet was like running a marathon,” she recalls. Walker contacted a person who tested positive for a coronavirus test and called the NHS helpline, but after a long wait, the NHS helpline was not affected because the symptoms did not affect the respiratory system. I thought I just had to follow the advice on the website.

“Taste and smell have come together. I am recovering from an eating disorder I have experienced in more than half of my life, and loss of taste is a very psychological trigger for me-it is immediate Made me totally miserable, “said Walker.

“It has regained the fear of food and the attitude of” What is the point of eating something because I can’t taste it? “” She adds. “There was a panic and begging everywhere was more than running water.

Walker says that her taste and smell are now around 50%, but because of the slight taste and smell returning and no further progress, “I’m stuck in this way now” Is it not?

One otolaryngologist who reported the loss of olfaction seen by the World Health Organization as a coronavirus symptom was Claire Hopkins, chairman of the British Rhinologic Society.

Hopkins called for the loss of smell to be included in the Coronavirus Symptom Tracking mobile app developed by Kings College London. Later, 1 King’s report in April found that loss of smell and taste was a stronger predictor of coronavirus infection than fever. Of the 400,000 people in the UK who reported one or more symptoms between March 24 and 29, 18% lost their sense of smell and taste and 10.5% suffered fever.

Hopkins is overwhelmed by hundreds of people who have contacted her to share experiences since publication letter March 20, through ENT UK, an organization representing UK ear, nose and throat surgeons. The letter stated that newly developed painless patients should be self-isolated.

A colleague at Guys & St. Thomas Hospital in London wrote her letter, and within five minutes, twenty doctors told her, “This is exactly what I got.” She says one of them took a private test of Covid-19 and was positive that day.

Coronavirus testing is still lacking in the UK. For example, on April 9, the Ministry of Health reported that more than 10,000 people had been tested. According to Secretary of Health Matt Hancock, the government aims to test 100,000 people a day by the end of this month.

This means that patients and physicians need to isolate themselves based on their symptoms. This makes it even more important to know the symptoms of coronavirus.

Hopkins is conducting an email survey of approximately 2,500 patients who have suddenly lost their sense of smell since the letter was sent and inquiries flooded. At the time of responding to the survey, about 50% say they have already begun to see improvements. Hopkins reported that over a week of follow-up, two-thirds had already begun to show signs of improvement.

She advises that if she does not recover, she will need to see a physician when it is possible to have an interview again.

Advice for victims

So what can be done to help restore olfaction during a coronavirus pandemic?

Manger said, “If you are worried or concerned, you should” acknowledge that it is legal. “

From a safety point of view, fires cannot be detected and may consume rotten food, but the “ real smell of scents ” associated with our social interactions that frequently occur around food and drink There are also emotional elements and their associated connections. .

“There is also a connection to the world. Flowers, the smell of partner hair, all these kinds of things are very real, and without them cannot be emotionally isolated,” he says. You.

One of the treatments that otolaryngologists sometimes use for the loss of odors that can result from an inflammatory response is to use nasal steroids, Manger says. This includes exhaling steroids to the nose to try to reduce inflammation.

Hopkins explains that post-viral analgesia is usually “ consider using steroid tablets, ” but the World Health Organization warns people with Covid-19 infection about oral steroid use. At the moment, it is not. Potential risk of increasing the severity of respiratory complications.

“I’ve avoided steroids, especially for the first two weeks, until I’m sure they won’t harm. Most people who get worse get worse on days 8-12 with regard to respiratory complications. Hopkins He further states that after 14 days, the risk of steroids may be lower, but no one really knows.

While these types of treatment require consultation with a specialist, there are other potential aids that both Manger and Hopkins have suggested to try at home.

This is called “smell training” and essentially sniffs around the odor-safe home, which helps stimulate the reaction of the olfactory epithelium. This is the tissue in the upper part of the nasal cavity that hits the skull directly, including the sensory system that responds to smell.

According to Hopkins, this is the part of the nose that appears to have been damaged by the coronavirus.

“The ACE2 receptor, a coronavirus receptor, is found at very high levels on the back of the nose, indicating that the coronavirus attaches to the nose and damages olfactory receptors that pick up odors. “

Smell training

by Fifth senseIs a British charity for people who suffer from odor and taste disorders. For the most effective training, you should practice at least twice daily, ideally in the morning and evening. Relax naturally and inhale and avoid sniffing for too long or too long. 10 seconds for each smell is enough.

Munger says there is no need to use essential oils for odor training. If you don’t have one, you can choose something safe from the house. Shampoos, mild spices and lemon juice.

“Repeat over and over, and what it does is to help the brain focus on the amount of intact odor function and allow it to be maximized,” he says. I will explain.

“Think of it like practicing throwing a ball, ice skating, or practicing a foreign language. The brain is repeatedly exposed when trying to use the leftover instrument to eliminate the smell. Is making a difference and doing it well. “

He cautiously states that its jury hasn’t come out yet. It is unclear whether spontaneous recovery is due to odor training or it occurs spontaneously, but it does not hurt to try.

The science surrounding Covid-19 and the loss of taste and smell from case-control studies do not yet exist, but scientists and physicians around the world are working on data collection. Global Consortium of Chemosensory Researchers (GCCR), a group of more than 300 international olfactory and taste researchers from more than 40 countries, has launched patients Research.

Hopkins has these encouraging words for those who have suffered from lack of smell and taste for more than two weeks after first becoming ill during this pandemic. “The good news is that most people are likely to recover.”