Lessons from Anosmia: Smell and Taste

faj
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Sat Nov 12, 2022 5:01 pm

I recently had COVID. It was a mild case, felt like a benign cold. But as it was fading away, it took away my smell entirely. It took several days for any hint of an aroma to come back, and the progress since has been very gradual, but constant. It is worse in the morning, and improves throughout the day. Tea, for sure, was the last thing I was able to reconnect with. I am just starting to find the experience somewhat normal. I actually started drinking coffee rather than tea in the morning, because I can taste it up to a point (even in the morning), and it is the best gauge I have found to measure progress.

I wish you the best with your recovery.
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aet
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Sat Nov 12, 2022 7:30 pm

I've heard some trick with burned orange skin ( peel ) and honey or brown sugar. There was a Czech tea vendor who had same problem and he claims it helped him. Google for How to.
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Baisao
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Sat Nov 12, 2022 11:41 pm

Resources: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alr.22929

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23126649-p618

Excerpt from helpful article:
C416E3E0-95C3-422F-AF13-AE01AFEA70A9.jpeg
C416E3E0-95C3-422F-AF13-AE01AFEA70A9.jpeg (221.34 KiB) Viewed 3058 times
Source of screenshot: https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/15/health/l ... index.html
tolean
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Sun Nov 13, 2022 3:43 am

debunix wrote:
Sat Nov 12, 2022 4:08 pm
Wish I had something useful to say. Sympathy here and good luck…
Thanks for support! Hopefully it will be fine!
tolean
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Sun Nov 13, 2022 3:45 am

Andrew S wrote:
Sat Nov 12, 2022 4:42 pm
Sorry to hear that; there are probably a lot of people who went through similar experiences.

Here's something that may help: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=208

I lost my sense of smell at the start of the year, despite taking precautions, wearing masks, etc. I can't remember how long it lasted, but at least several weeks, and I think that it wasn't quite right for up to around two months.

That led to me drinking no more yancha, and only cheap old puer, since the former has lots of interesting aromas and flavours which disappeared, whereas the latter is just a smooth and relaxing drink for me. You may want to adjust your tea habits similarly, to avoid teas with bitterness and astringency, and focus on things that have a pleasant mouthfeel and which make you feel comfortable.

I recall my sense of smell coming back in bits and pieces. I first noticed that I had been infected when something didn't smell the way that it should in the morning, and then I could no longer detect any smells by the end of that day. At the start, I'd smell absolutely nothing; later, I'd get a 'glimpse' of an aroma, which would then disappear; that was frustrating, but encouraging. Eventually I started 'glimpsing' more aromas more often and for longer periods, until it seemed to get back to normal.

I've read about people who didn't recover for many months; fortunately that didn't happen to me. I also seem to recall reading that people have recommended training yourself to recognise aromas once they start to come back. I don't know anything about that, though; it's probably something to ask a doctor.

Andrew
Thank you for sharing your experience!
I am glad your smell restored! I will see how it will go with me :) it's like 4 days for now so too early to make any conclusion!
tolean
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Sun Nov 13, 2022 3:45 am

aet wrote:
Sat Nov 12, 2022 7:30 pm
I've heard some trick with burned orange skin ( peel ) and honey or brown sugar. There was a Czech tea vendor who had same problem and he claims it helped him. Google for How to.
Thank you! I will take a look!
tolean
Posts: 82
Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2021 12:13 am

Sun Nov 13, 2022 3:47 am

Thank you, after i will start feeling better u may try smth like this)). Still hoping it will restore by itself but any help from my side can make it faster i think))
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TeaGrove
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Sun Nov 13, 2022 4:55 am

Something similar happened to me and it took the joy out of drinking tea for around 6 months. The problem for me wasn't so much a loss of smell, although I briefly experienced it, but the change in my sense of smell. It took me months to work out, I just assumed I was having bad luck with stale and overly oxidised foods. It only effected specific things so it wasn't initially obvious but the confimation came when I discovered delicous, fresh buttery popcorn smelled like death. Initially it would smell the way I expected it to, perhaps because the mind anticipates, but then it would quickly become this rotting stench.

I think holding strongly to the memory of how things taste will help you recover your sense of smell when you start to reintroduce things. Pick out the teas you know to enjoy and if they aren't what you expect when your sense of smell returns consider you might not be fully recovered yet. Constantly matching memory with reality helped me not become compliant to the change.
tolean
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Sun Nov 13, 2022 5:57 am

TeaGrove wrote:
Sun Nov 13, 2022 4:55 am
Something similar happened to me and it took the joy out of drinking tea for around 6 months. The problem for me wasn't so much a loss of smell, although I briefly experienced it, but the change in my sense of smell. It took me months to work out, I just assumed I was having bad luck with stale and overly oxidised foods. It only effected specific things so it wasn't initially obvious but the confimation came when I discovered delicous, fresh buttery popcorn smelled like death. Initially it would smell the way I expected it to, perhaps because the mind anticipates, but then it would quickly become this rotting stench.

I think holding strongly to the memory of how things taste will help you recover your sense of smell when you start to reintroduce things. Pick out the teas you know to enjoy and if they aren't what you expect when your sense of smell returns consider you might not be fully recovered yet. Constantly matching memory with reality helped me not become compliant to the change.
Thanks for sharing! I will see how my recovery will be, hopefully fast and easy :)

Now, do you enjoy your teas and food like before? Or there are still discrepancies?
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TeaGrove
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Sun Nov 13, 2022 7:56 am

@tolean Total recovery, just takes time after experiencing a viral infection. Fingers crossed you'll be fine in no time :)
tolean
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Sun Nov 13, 2022 10:03 am

TeaGrove wrote:
Sun Nov 13, 2022 7:56 am
tolean Total recovery, just takes time after experiencing a viral infection. Fingers crossed you'll be fine in no time :)
Glad to hear it!
Thanks for good words!
Hopefully it will be fine ☺️
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pedant
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Mon Nov 14, 2022 1:32 am

it will probably mostly or entirely recover. hang in there.

i've had viral anosmia twice. once from idk what (before CoViD19 existed), and once from CoViD.

i had kind of the same experience both times. here are my five stages of anosmia-related grief:
  1. much distress initially. can't smell coffee beans 1cm from your nose.
  2. olfaction mostly recovers within 2-3 weeks
  3. olfaction continues to improve much more slowly over the next few months
  4. after a few months, olfaction is quite good. however, you feel a new, more insidious kind of distress as you wonder if things are missing. it seems like minor notes are missing, but it's been so long that you're honestly not sure.
  5. you eventually decide that it's not possible to determine if olfaction is actually worse than before the infection (it's not like you did some scientific olfactory assessment before and after), and you accept that it probably doesn't matter. seems good enough.
i'm on stage 4 right now.

it's too late for you this time, but a suggestion to everyone for the future... assuming it's still effective by the time you catch CoViD, i would highly recommend taking paxlovid as soon as you test positive. imo you can likely arrest disease progression before you get hyposmia or anosmia. i don't see why it wouldn't significantly reduce the risk of various "long CoViD" complications.
tolean
Posts: 82
Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2021 12:13 am

Mon Nov 14, 2022 12:55 pm

pedant wrote:
Mon Nov 14, 2022 1:32 am
it will probably mostly or entirely recover. hang in there.

i've had viral anosmia twice. once from idk what (before CoViD19 existed), and once from CoViD.

i had kind of the same experience both times. here are my five stages of anosmia-related grief:
  1. much distress initially. can't smell coffee beans 1cm from your nose.
  2. olfaction mostly recovers within 2-3 weeks
  3. olfaction continues to improve much more slowly over the next few months
  4. after a few months, olfaction is quite good. however, you feel a new, more insidious kind of distress as you wonder if things are missing. it seems like minor notes are missing, but it's been so long that you're honestly not sure.
  5. you eventually decide that it's not possible to determine if olfaction is actually worse than before the infection (it's not like you did some scientific olfactory assessment before and after), and you accept that it probably doesn't matter. seems good enough.
i'm on stage 4 right now.

it's too late for you this time, but a suggestion to everyone for the future... assuming it's still effective by the time you catch CoViD, i would highly recommend taking paxlovid as soon as you test positive. imo you can likely arrest disease progression before you get hyposmia or anosmia. i don't see why it wouldn't significantly reduce the risk of various "long CoViD" complications.
Thank you for sharing and advise!

Today i started to smell my Aromatic oils and i felt them :) so looks like first steps started.

Wanted to make this thread and for future so ppl will find it in case of need.

Wish you to get even better and all the best!
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debunix
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Mon Nov 14, 2022 1:16 pm

There is already another thread that is full of reference material and tips

Lessons from Anosmia: Smell and Taste

Perhaps best to consolidate these both?
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Baisao
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Mon Nov 14, 2022 1:24 pm

debunix wrote:
Mon Nov 14, 2022 1:16 pm
There is already another thread that is full of reference material and tips

Lessons from Anosmia: Smell and Taste

Perhaps best to consolidate these both?
I agree with consolidating them for better organization.
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