Anosmia – Loss of sense of smell

Are you one of the people who recently experienced the loss of sense of smell?  I lost my sense of smell and taste due to Covid this autumn.  It is slowly returning in sets of scents – there are still some types of scents that are not available to me.

It was indeed a brand new experience to move in this world without a sense of taste and without the ability to sense scents.  One can say it is more of an inconvenience than an actual health threat.  The sobering realisation of how much we rely on the sense of smell came in stages.

First, when I started to experience appetite or hunger, after a week of just recovering, I realised that I was unable to check anything in the fridge if it was off or not.  It made me realise that I could be eating spoilt food and not be aware I am eating food that can harm me.  How would I ensure the safety of my food?

Then, my sister burnt the dinner while in the kitchen.  She did not smell anything, and her attention got caught up elsewhere for a prolonged time.  She was lucky she spotted the developing disaster in time, and there was only a black pot to clean.

We could not smell our body scents, and I could not smell my children.  Checking if they brushed their teeth required a different procedure.  There was no substitute for the bonding ritual, though – I just had to compensate here with memories and imagination.

My Mum likes to bake sourdough bread.  The smell usually brings me to the kitchen from the furthest corner.  I have loved sourdough bread since childhood.  The memories of my grandparents, my parents bringing fresh, warm, sourdough bread home and sharing it between us left me with such warm and loving memories.   I realised how pivotal the sense of smell is in creating memories.  My Mum baked the bread, and I was unaware of it.  I spotted freshly baked bread on the kitchen table, but nothing moved in me to want to eat it.  I remember that it used to be enjoyable to taste it, but all I could experience was the warmth and the soft texture of the slice of bread.  There was no desire to eat it.  There was no taste.  The moment did not connect old memories but created a new experience disconnected and isolated from the past.

I indeed started to experience this world as an impaired person.  Just like a blind person must learn to move without sight, I had to learn to experience and adapt to function in the world safely without the sense of smell.  Some adjustments had to be made, and the greatest was the adjustment to the effect on the memories.

We are making sense of reality through our senses.  We are plugged into this world through our senses.  I pondered on that for a moment.  I entertained a thought: what if I sit in the danger of being burnt and I cannot smell it, I cannot see it, I cannot hear it, I cannot feel it.  Am I still existing? Indeed, I still am.  I am very aware, just not of my external environment.  I then wondered if I would continue to be aware if my body burnt down… I have no direct experience of what this would look like, but I certainly had a glimpse into my awareness.  I appreciated how I use my body to express myself and how I am not this body.

The olfactory system is highly responsive to training.  In one study, a 12-week smell training session significantly increased the sensitivity to detect odours in those with anosmia.

The basis for smell training is that using a neural pathway, such as that used by your olfactory nerve cells, reinforces and strengthens it.  To try it, all you need is four different fragrances, such as rose, lemon, clove and eucalyptus essential oils.  Actively sniff each scent for about 20 seconds a couple of times a day, such as immediately after waking up and before going to bed; be sure to focus your concentration on the scent while you’re sniffing, trying to recall your experience of the scent.

My sense of smell is gradually returning.  I hope that the intensity of some of the smells improves further, and some scents are yet to return.

I invite you to notice how many memories you have are linked to scents.  The smell is a powerful sense for capturing experiences into memories.  Take your time to appreciate your sense of smell and use it intentionally to create links, as it is a potent ingredient in memorising things.