Those little bottles of essential oils you’ve been seeing everywhere aren’t just a passing trend. They’ve been around for ages, but over the past decade or so they have started to make a big comeback. Now, if you’re one of the folks dealing with the sleep troubles that sometimes follow a bout of COVID, these little wonders might just become your new best friend.
I will be honest I do miss the many smells of my essential oils since getting Parosmia 4 years ago. Like the sweet smell of Lemongrass. It used to fill my room with a sense of tranquility and clarity.
The invigorating aroma of Peppermint that once energized my mornings now feels like a distant memory. Each day, I find myself yearning for that familiar scent, the one that used to wake me up with a sense of purpose and enthusiasm. Life has a way of changing our routines, often replacing what was once cherished with new habits and experiences.
Lavender, known for its calming and soothing properties, was a lifeline for me as a mother of a special needs child, helping me relax after demanding days.
The delicate scent wrapped me in a soothing embrace, melting away the tension in my tired muscles and calming my racing mind. Inspired by a visit to a lavender farm, I decided to grow lavender myself. The endless stretches of soft purple fields symbolized peace and serenity. Breathing in the lavender’s aroma deeply, I felt the stress dissipate, replaced by a sense of tranquility and inner strength.
Incorporating lavender essential oils into my routine became a treasured self-care ritual, offering a moment of peace amid the daily chaos. These quiet moments provided me with the resilience to approach each new day with optimism and hope, armed with the patience and love necessary to support my family.
However, I have found new paths to find joy and comfort. While I currently still use these oils, there was a time when I couldn’t due to Parosmia’s unpleasant smell. I invest time in reminiscing about scents that I can no longer perceive, aiming to revive those sensations in my sense of smell. Forgetting the aromas of certain things is particularly difficult, such as the smell of newborn babies or the delightful fragrance of freshly mown grass. I frequently engage in meditation during the day to safeguard these memories.
Expanding my horizons beyond scents, I’ve ventured into seeking peace and happiness through different sensory experiences. The enveloping warmth of a snug blanket, rhythmic patter of rain against the window, or a tender touch from someone special, all invoke that same serene, contented vibe I used to get from my essential oils. Sure, I miss those signature fragrances, but hey, I’m embracing the joy in diversifying my tranquility toolkit.
I’ve reached a moment where I must explore new avenues to enhance my sensory delights. While I continue to use oils for their health advantages, my senses feel neglected. Therefore, I actively search for scents to focus on. When I encounter roses in the garden, I make sure to take a moment to inhale their fragrance. Rather than the usual pleasant lavender aroma, I’ve developed an affinity for the scent of Patchouli. I used to be quite rigid in my habits, but since experiencing Parosmia, I’ve had to embrace courage and embark on new explorations.
Individuals worldwide have reported experiencing Parosmia as a symptom of Long Covid. Researchers are actively discussing the root cause of smell loss or dysfunction: whether it stems from the death of olfactory neurons in the nose, which detect odors, or from a disruption in the brain regions that process signals from these sensory neurons. Nonetheless, many people have found smell training with essential oils to be helpful.
Let’s chat about smell training. Most doctors are on board with this, suggesting at least four scents to sniff out, though the more the merrier. The idea is to tickle a variety of smell-neurons, so we’re looking at:
- A fruity number (think lemon)
- Something floral (rose is a good choice)
- A spicy aroma (like clove)
- And a touch of the woods (eucalyptus usually does the trick)
Parosmia, is like stepping into a new world, where our noses need to learn their ABCs all over again. Will our old sense of smell come back? Who can say? But while we wait, we’ve got a secret weapon: essential oils. Time to play scent-detective and find new favorites. My personal trick? A diffuser. It was unexpected, but we got this. And who knows, the answer might just be hiding in those little bottles of nature’s goodness, waiting for us to unlock it. Patience my friends!