Each time we breathe in a scent, signals are sent from the smell receptors to the brain.
By repeatedly exposing ourselves to smells, we help create fresh neural pathways and connections in our sense of smell system
Each time we breathe in a scent, signals are sent from the smell receptors to the brain.
By repeatedly exposing ourselves to smells, we help create fresh neural pathways and connections in our sense of smell system
Smell training – Post COVID-19
A large number of patients have not fully recovered their sense of smell after a COVID-19 infection. A study in the US has shown that around 20% who have had a COVID-19 infection were still affected by a reduced, or altered sense of smell after recovery.
Harvard Medical School has in a study demonstrated that a reduced sense of smell can affect a person’s well-being, by causing depression and a negative impact on for example social relations, appetite, or sex drive.
Reasons to try smell training:
Losing your sense of smell can occur due to health issues such as nasal polyps, sinus problems, or illnesses like COVID-19. Smell training has been demonstrated to be effective in helping the sense of smell recover after experiencing these health challenges.
Engaging in smell training not only improves your ability to smell but also enhances the taste of food. Given that smell contributes to about 90% of the taste we perceive, incorporating smell training is a straightforward way to elevate your dining experience.
Engaging in regular smell training helps you become more attuned to the scents in your surroundings, making you more aware of what’s happening around you. Losing your sense of smell can be risky because it plays a crucial role in recognizing potentially dangerous situations, such as detecting fire or gas, or identifying spoiled food.
Smell training isn’t just a nose workout; it’s an investment in your overall health and enjoyment of life. An impaired sense of smell has been demonstrated to impact well-being, leading to feelings of depression and negatively affecting social relationships, appetite, and overall desire.
Benefits of doing smell training
Smell training entails actively engaging your sense of smell, assisting your brain in becoming more adept at identifying various scents by directly stimulating your sense of smell through your nose.
Frequently doing smell training not only improves a human’s sense of smell but also enhances the enjoyment of food. This is because smell and taste are closely linked senses. Additionally, smell training helps us recognize potentially hazardous situations, like detecting smoke or gas. Moreover, it strengthens the emotional bond with the scents in our surroundings, such as the fragrance of loved ones. It makes life safer, more enjoyable, and emotionally richer, by increasing a human’s well-being.
Smell training scents
Smell training scents
The suggestion to use scents like fruity, spicy, floral, and eucalyptus during smell training depends on various factors. Fruity scents include; citrus fruits (e.g. lemon, orange), berries (e.g. strawberry), peach, cherry, or melon. Spicy scents include; vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or cola. Floral scents include; rose, jasmine, lavender, rosemary, or peony. Eucalyptus scents include; menthol and eucalyptus oil.
Why fruity, spicy, floral, and eucalyptus scents?
Variety of Scents:
These categories include a broad array of unique smells, offering a diverse set of stimuli for the sense of smell. Training with a variety of scents helps improve the ability to distinguish and identify different odors
Intensity and Recognition:
Floral, fruity, spicy, and eucalyptus scents are often characterized by clear and recognizable profiles, making them well-suited for training. Their distinct nature aids in the learning and identification process during smell training.
Positive Associations:
Many floral and fruity scents are linked to positive and pleasant experiences. Utilizing these scents can enhance enjoyment and motivation during smell training.
Well-defined Characteristics:
Each category has clear characteristics. For example, floral scents are often linked to flowers, fruity scents with various fruits, spicy scents with herbs and spices, and eucalyptus with a distinct medicinal aroma. This clarity helps in categorizing and distinguishing between different smells during training.
Therapeutic Properties:
Some scents, like eucalyptus, are recognized for their potential therapeutic properties, including respiratory benefits. This aspect adds an extra dimension to smell training, potentially contributing to overall well-being.
Duration of smell training?
The duration of smell training can vary among individuals, and there is no fixed timeframe that universally applies. However, many experts recommend incorporating smell training into your routine for at least 20 minutes each day and continuing for 12-36 weeks.
A lot has happened in recent times and there are now new methods available such as NOSA smell training which has been developed to shorten the training time to as little as 8 weeks. NOSA smell training is unique as it enables passive smell training, allowing the user to train their olfactory system whenever they want, wherever they are. The smell training app is also an effective tool to schedule and get reminders which hopefully increase the number of people that actually follow through with their smell training.
Consistency is key, and it’s important to be patient and persistent to observe potential improvements in the sense of smell. Changes in the sense of smell may take time.
Olika typer av allergi
Det finns en mängd olika allergier idag. För de allra flesta bryter allergin ut i skolåldern men det finns även vuxna som utvecklar en eller flera allergier. Varför man får allergi är inte helt klarlagt men de flesta allergiska barn har ärvt sin allergiska läggning från den ena eller båda föräldrarna. Även yttre faktorer såsom miljö och livsstil kan påverka. De vanligaste allergierna som drabbar människor idag är pollenallergi och pälsdjursallergi. Men det finns även flera andra allergier som kommit att bli allt vanligare såsom mögelallergi och kvalsterallergi. För de allra flesta allergiker finns det effektiva hjälpmedel som kan lindra symptomen och i bästa fall hjälpa dig leva ett normalt liv utan besvär. Viktigt att komma ihåg är dock att ta tag i besvären så tidigt som möjligt eftersom allergin annars kan övergå i allergisk astma, vilket i värsta fall kan leda till att du får besvär med andningen.