Loss of Smell from Covid? Smelling Floral Scent Therapy

By Jill Brooke

Want to help someone? Here is an idea and a cool tip.

Time to smell the flowers is not just a slogan. There’s a truth rooted in it.

Several studies – including one at the Vanderbilt Taste and Smell Clinic -indicate that 35% to 68% of patients with the coronavirus develop alterations in both smell and taste.

While most people regain their sense of smell, others aren’t as lucky.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine,  it appears that the loss of sense of smell and taste seems to persist in approximately 10% of the affected patients after 6 months. As a result of COVID-19, it is estimated that within the next 12 months,150,000 Americans will suffer permanent loss of smell. The magnitude of this impairment on the health, safety, and quality of life is truly unprecedented and makes post-COVID olfactory disorder a major public health problem. Thus, there is a pressing need to identify effective treatments.

Therefore universities have launched more studies on recovering smell after Covid, with trials using nasal rinses and essential oils.

Now more and more doctors are using a therapy where the patient does three rounds of smelling a variety of essential oils for 20 seconds each, twice a day.

The original study was performed by German doctor Thomas Hummelin in 2009 using four different scents – floral, fruity, spicy and resinous – represented by rose, lemon, clove and eucalyptus oils. However, recent studies have relaxed those rules and encouraged people to find oils that please them and do this therapy which has had positive results.

Floral that are popular include includes rose, lavender, sage, chamomile,, jasmine, juniper berry, and ylang-ylang.

In fact, having essential oils at your home – aside from floral smelling perfumes – is really useful to lift your spirits for any reason.