These unpleasant smells are often described as being like chemicals, burning, faeces, rotting flesh, mold. For some people they appear in response to specific odors, and for others they can be triggered by virtually any smell.
Parosmia can range from mild to severe, and can be an incredibly debilitating and depressing experience for sufferers.” -https://www.fifthsense.org.uk/parosmia-and-phantosmia/
Parosmia is affecting those with Covid weeks and months after contracting it.
It is not a loss of smell but a distorted sense of smell.
The theory is that when the olfactory nerves (which connect your nose to your brain) are damaged by a virus like Covid the signals between your nose and brain are mixed up. It is still unknown exactly what happens, but is said that when the nerves start to regrow they are sending mix readings to the brain which causes the messed up smells and tastes.
Everything smells and tastes the same and the best we can describe it is rotting meat or sewage.
My Parosmia is new, at the time of this blog only 7 days in and all ready it is life altering.
It all started when I was cooking dinner, spaghetti and a meat sauce. I had no problems thought the day, but while I was cooking dinner I noticed something didn’t smell right. At first I thought it was the meat, but remembered I had just bought it and it looked good. Then I thought it was the minced garlic, so I threw the rest of it away. When my fiancé came home I asked him to taste it. He said it tasted fine. I was not taking a chance it smelled like spoiled meat and a skunks butt meshed together! I ended up making my son something different, not eating, and tossing the whole dinner.
When I woke up the next day with that same smell and taste in my mouth. It was everywhere I couldn’t get away from it. Brushing my teeth made it better, so I then went about my day. I went to make coffee( I am a coffee lover through and through), and there it was again. The smell and taste of coffee made me physically sick. I had no idea what was happening. I couldn’t get the smell out of my nose, nor the taste out of my mouth.
This continued for another day, and I knew something wasn’t right so I turned to the internet and typed in “why does everything taste and smell rotten.” After reading a few articles, and watching a few videos, it became clear to me that this was due to having Covid in February 2021, 4 months ago.
I spent most of the weekend researching and learning all I could, but to my surprise there is not a lot of information on it. So I decided to post a Tweet hoping someone would see it.
Anyone else?
I am researching because after months of not having no smell or taste, I now only have this awful smell and taste and this is what is happening. Parosmia Is a Post-COVID Side Effect That Distorts Your Sense of Smell—and More People Are https://t.co/ZHyXj9E94x— Debra Forand (@NWFLphotos) June 4, 2021
Someone did! I received a response to my Tweet from Abscent directing me to some of their support and research. I felt a sense of hope.
AbScent.org is a charity registered in England and Wales providing support and trusted information to anyone affected by anosmia or smell disorders.
From What I am learning, many people with Parosmia have suffered with this disorder for many weeks, and months following Covid-19. I am only on week 1, and still have so much to learn.
Keeping a safe list of foods I can eat is helping. But there are absolutely certain things I cannot eat, and that is meat and fish , eggs, peanut butter, bananas, apples, along with a long list of a whole bunch of other foods and drinks. Most foods do have the rancid unexplainable taste and smell to them, and I have had to find ways to cover it up just to keep up my nutrition. I have started to eat Untoasted bread, instead of toasted, or flavoring my coffee with Caramel. I even wear a mask with peppermint essential oil on it when I am cooking. Otherwise I get physically sick to my stomach and can not.
Simple things that we normally take for granted have become very difficult and unpleasant to say the least. Like opening the freezer or refrigerator, driving by a BBQ restaurant, grilling and cooking, and yes even the smell of shampoos, soaps, and other hygiene items. Every day things that normally we wouldn’t even think about.
There are variations of Parosmia from what I am learning. Like for instance, some can’t eat tomatoes, some can. Some can’t eat breads, some can. Yet there many commonalities like most can’t eat meat, Coffee, Garlic, and Onions because they all smell and taste disgusting and unexplainable.
I feel blessed to have found the support group and to have a medical practitioner listen to me. After speaking to my doctor today I found out that she also suffers from Parosmia. She knows how real it is, and how horrible the smell and taste is. Knowing I am not alone has made this past week semi bearable!
It is something that is really hard to describe, and nothing you would wish on your worst enemy. There is no quick fix, or medication you can take for this. We have to retrain our brain to smell normal again. Well , at least that is what some in the medical profession are saying, but no one seems to really know. Those that have recovered tell us to be patient, it will go away in time.
Long Haulers, Long Covid what ever you want to call us or this symptom , one thing is for sure and that is this needs to be talked about more and talked about louder.
Resources:
https://www.fifthsense.org.uk/parosmia-and-phantosmia/
https://www.prevention.com/health/a35841036/what-is-parosmia-covid-19/