An international group of olfactory experts, including Professor Carl Philpott from the University of East Anglia, advise against using steroids to treat COVID-19 smell loss, a prominent symptom of the ongoing pandemic that left some with long-term loss of the sense of smell.
This condition is also known as anosmia of which doctors have observed that at least 30% out of 2,000 patients were presenting indications of anosmia during the early months of the pandemic, although it is only mild.
Patients with COVID-19 smell loss are prescribed corticosteroids as treatment as they lower inflammation in the body and are usually prescribed to patients with asthma. But the team of experts said that smell training will be a better treatment that has no unwanted side effects.
Smell Training In Post-COVID-19 Infection
Based on a systematic evidence-based review that concluded corticosteroids should not be the first treatment given to COVID-19 smell loss, experts advise patients to get a whiff of at least four different aromas twice a day as treatment, according to an article in EurekAlert!
Professor Philpott said that around one out of five patients who experienced COVID-19 smell loss report that their sense of smell has not returned eight weeks after recovering from the infection.
Although it might take months for the patient to recover, smell training is effective for patients to get back their sense of smell post-COVID-19 infection.
"As an expert group we strongly emphasize the initial consideration of smell training," the group wrote. "Smell training has no known side effects and is low cost. Moreover, it is the only available treatment... supported by a robust evidence base."
They also said that it is hard to compare steroids to smell training as there are no controlled studies have been done yet. However, sell training has been around for some time and with great success in helping treat smell loss due to infections other than COVID-19.
A systematic comparison on smell training, systemic steroids, topical therapies, non-steroidal oral medications, and acupuncture found that smell training should be the first treatment recommended to those suffering from the condition.
Moreover, a 2021 study entitled "Prevalence and 6‐month recovery of olfactory dysfunction: a multicentre study of 1363 COVID‐19 patients" published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, showed that 95% of patients with olfactory dysfunction recovered their sense of smell six months after smell training.
Read also: Parosmia: A Foul-Smelling Effect of COVID-19
Smell Therapy Recovery Based on Neuroplasticity
Professor Philpott said that smell training is a cheap, simple, and side-effect-free treatment for COVID-19 smell loss. Recovery from this method is based on neuroplasticity or the brain's ability to reorganize itself to compensate for a change or an injury, he added.
That means it will require a lot of time, especially because not everyone gets better at the same rate, ScienceAlert reported. For instance, older people might take longer to recover as they have fewer olfactory receptor neurons compared to younger people.
Traditionally, smell training involves four aromas, such as clove, rose, lemon, and eucalyptus. But it does not matter as any aroma will do.
The team noted that there might be a benefit to focusing on familiar smells, like perfume, lemon rinds, vanilla, or ground coffee. They also recommended changing the four smells every 12 weeks for better results.
Check out more news and information on COVID-19 in Science Times.
