This archive report was first published on 6 July 2020.
When the coronavirus robs you of your sense of smell, it can be a life-altering experience. Jean-Michel Maillard, president of anosmie.org, a French group that helps people with anosmia, describes the loss of smell as a 'torture.'
Maillard, who lost his sense of smell following an accident, says that people with anosmia can no longer appreciate the simple pleasures in life, like the smell of freshly brewed coffee or the scent of soap on their skin. They also struggle to detect important smells, such as smoke from a fire or gas from a leak.
According to Alain Corre, an ear, nose and throat specialist at the Hopital-Fondation Rothschild in Paris, there are dozens of causes of anosmia, including nasal polyps, chronic rhinitis, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's. The new coronavirus has now been added to this list, and the symptom alone can be used to diagnose Covid-19 in some cases.
Corre notes that when people lose their sense of smell and don't get it back, they experience a real change in their quality of life and a level of depression that is not insignificant. The problem is when the condition persists, and people are left feeling isolated and alone.
There is no specific treatment for anosmia, but addressing the underlying cause is essential. Corre suggests that people try olfactory re-education, which involves stimulating the associations that specific smells have in their memory. This can be done by choosing five smells in the kitchen that are special to you and breathing them in twice a day for five to 10 minutes while looking at what you are inhaling.
Maillard, who completed a re-education programme last winter, says that he has regained some of his sense of smell and can even detect certain perfumes. His advice is to seek help and not give up hope.
