Research has shown that people with parosmia who engaged in smell training not only felt better but also achieved higher olfactory test scores compared to those who didn’t.
Parosmia is a common development after both post-viral smell loss and loss from head injury. It can be very difficult to live with, and those who suffer badly are keen to find ways to recover more quickly. Parosmia is often a sign that smell function is regenerating, and studies suggest that those who experience it recover a little faster than those who don’t. While challenging, this phase is temporary. Nonetheless, it can last a year or more.
Dr Aytug Altundag, a researcher in Turkey, has explored smell training and its effects on parosmia since 2015. His study on “modified” smell training—using more than just the traditional scents of lemon, rose, clove, and eucalyptus—found that including additional groups of odours led to better performance in objective smell tests. Put simply, training with a wider variety of scents can lead to greater improvement.
Dr Altundag then completed a study looking at outcomes of smell training in people with parosmia. His study spanned nine months and included 75 participants, split into two groups. One group practised smell training twice daily with rotating scents, while the other did no smell training. Participants ranged in age from 16 to 60, with an average age of 33, reflecting the age range most affected by Covid-related smell loss.
Both groups showed improvement, but those who undertook smell training saw significantly better results, particularly in the later months of the study. Patients felt they recovered faster, and said that their quality of life improved because of it. For anyone coping with parosmia, this research highlights the importance of persistence, as recovery may take time but is certainly achievable.
You can read the full article here.
