Just when I thought I was the only one that has had this loss of sense of smell (anosmia), my experience on Tuesday changed my perception.
I love life and I am sure everyone does, but when there is a loss of sense of smell, life could be sad. That aroma of your favourite food is suddenly gone and food could become meaningless.
However, on a lighter note, if you live in a highly polluted city like Lagos and have been craving for this inexplicable freshness, you may love it when you lose your sense of smell.
You cannot perceive anything and the air will seem so clean.
In a conversation with a friend, he shared stories of how he had experienced the same loss of sense of smell.
I could still sense the level of fear he had experienced in his voice as he told the story.
Sadly, this condition is coming at a time that people are trying to grapple with COVID-19 and its deadly claws.
Of a truth, loss of sense of smell is one of the early signs of the coronavirus. This is because it also presents people with flu.
This condition could be a symptom for any of the many conditions. From a simple cold, to a sinus infection.
Loss of sense of smell is increasing now in Nigeria. Since the last few weeks in June till date, it has been rain, rain and rain.
Sense Of Smell
Your sense of smell and your sense of taste are parts of your chemosensory system, or the chemical senses.
According to experts, your ability to smell comes from specialised sensory cells, called olfactory sensory neurons, which are found in a small patch of tissue high inside the nose.
These cells connect directly to the brain.
Each olfactory neuron has one odor receptor that is stimulated by microscopic molecules released by substances around us, whether it’s coffee brewing or pine trees in a forest.
Once the neurons detect the molecules, they send messages to your brain, which identifies the smell.
Smells reach the olfactory sensory neurons through two pathways. The first pathway is through your nostrils.
Loss of Sense of Smell is a condition that is
Causes Of Loss Of Sense Of Smell
This condition could be the early stage of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, or simply aging.
According to a report, this condition is quite common.
In the United States, 12.4% of Americans over the age of 40 have some hyposmia. At least 3% of Americans are anosmic across a wide range of ages.
Other causes are sinus and other upper respiratory infections, smoking, growths in the nasal cavities and head injury.
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It could also be caused by hormonal disturbances, dental problems, exposure to certain chemicals, such as insecticides and solvents and numerous medications.
Sadly, Coronavirus presents this disorder and that is leading to the concerns that people are having.
Issues
Loss of sense of smell could cause insecurity. There could be fire somewhere in the house without the individual knowing.
Your nose is an organ that helps you know when you are safe.
What To Do
However, when this condition comes, as a result of flu there are few things that you could do.
Interestingly, there are diagnoses that could be performed for proper identification of the cause.
First, keep worry away and report the situation to your physician for proper diagnosis.
However, we have noticed that many persons are sceptical about going to the hospital now. This is as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this case, there are few things you can do at home to keep safe while the loss of sense persists for few days.
If you have exposed yourself to cold, you can try the under listed.
- Boost your immune system
- Reduce intake of cold water
- Wear thick clothes – cardigan, sweater
- Drink more of warm water
- Drop some balm (our Gilead Balm if you can) in hot water and inhale
- Take Garlic, Ginger Tea sweetened with honey
- Get enough sleep
- Reduce stress level
- Get our Super Immune Booster