How to regain your sense of smell (medical evidence)

Step-by-step clinical advice about how to get your sense of smell back. I am an ENT Surgeon and I had COVID a couple of months ago and I am working on getting my sense of smell back. I go through the sprays, tablets, supplements, training etc that the experts advise, then at the end I tell you about what has helped me especially with dealing with parosmia (distortion of smell).
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If you would like more information about anosmia and how to treat it please sign up to my Newsletter. Click on the link below.
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Websites that deal with Anosmia
abscent.org/
www.fifthsense.org.uk/
Friends of mine who are known for helping people with Anosmia
Dr Simon Gane - • AbScent NoseWell ENT S...
Prof Claire Hopkins - • Abscent NoseWell: Prof...
** Disclaimer - The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional. **
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:37 Clear your nose
01:45 Omega 3
02:40 Vitamin A nasal drops
03:43 Zinc / B Complex vitamins / Vitamin D
04:09 Olfactory Training - Expert Advice
05:15 How to sniff
06:20 Time between sniffs
06:36 What to sniff
07:08 Jog your smell memory
07:24 Vik Veer’s Modifications to Olfactory Training
08:21 Question Spotting with the UPSIT
08:45 Give yourself more time
09:39 Become a research nerd
11:12 My plan for my parosmia
12:08 The Smelly Telephone Switchboard
13:08 How it helps me
13:33 Mega Sniffs
14:20 Understanding how long this will take
14:54 Conclusion
If you would like to see me on the NHS - please ask your GP to refer you to the Royal National ENT Hospital (part of UCL) in London, or at Queens hospital in Romford.
If you would like to see me privately for medical reasons Private Website - www.consultant-surgeon.co.uk

[@good_to_be_gold8]

As a foodie not being able to smell and taste was a nightmare. I’m glad it went away and I am able to enjoy life again

[@lotti1ify]

Please help how long did it take for it to come bacl

[@sirfrankmacias4373]

Lucky,I'm going crazy with this BS.I do get very faint wiffs of things I try to smell,but taste is not there.

[@good_to_be_gold8]

@@lotti1ify It took me a couple of days. I was sniffing strong coffee beans and drinking lemon water.

[@good_to_be_gold8]

@@sirfrankmacias4373 try peanut butter. That’s what I started off with. Good luck

[@Jan-uc2pq]

Here right now… it’s not a nice place to be :(

[@Th3Gr3atW4ld0]

I have not had a sense of smell for almost THIRTY YEARS. it is the easiest sense to live without. i have had a long history of nasal polyps undergoing about 18 FESS operations (functional endoscopic sinus surgeries), some of them under Claire Hopkins at Guys. i'm aged 51 now. my last operation was in 2013. i caught Covid very early on in January 2020 and after the high fever, cough etc my sense of smell miraculously returned for several months. i could smell absolutely everything instantly, how is that my brain remembered all these senses after so long? things that give off odour, food, cigarette smoke but also everyday objects like leather, books and newspaper print which i would say do not omit much at all? i could smell certain things from across a street. i had never experienced this before. it was all very strange to me. do you think i was a rare exception to the symptoms? i honestly think some research could be done into this.. as i believe it wasn't just a coincidence.. i would be interested to know if this happened to any other person with anosmia.

[@cpr2go]

i beg to differ, this is the worse thing that has ever happened to me, I have been suffering from anxiety for 28 months since I lost my smell and I suffer every day during meal times - it's a very sad world not to be able to smell your food and your environment

[@jdbumdcpark]

Hey there....I'd love to know if you still have your sense of smell today? I think it is amazing that your sense of smell returned when you got covid.

[@The_New_Abnormal_World_Order]

@@cpr2go Dr Berg has videos about how to get your sense of smell back. He's a nutritionist/ doctor. Please don't lose hope.

[@josephryanlaird]

@@cpr2go I'm pretty sure he said smell's the easiest sense to do without .... I'd bet if you lost your sight or hearing it'd affect your wellbeing a lot more than losing your smell.

[@canadiansolegirl]

Thank you, this combines with what we learned through Abscent to make a full complement of ideas to begin getting our smell back ! Very well done .

[@rosehuskey8764]

Appreciate your insight and objective/sciences based approach to this. As someone struggling with post Covid anosmia, this is encouraging.

[@ireneosborn]

This is the best video I’ve seen on regaining your smell! I’m 3 months out and I have some smell. I’m just ready to taste my coffee again!

[@PhoenixBlack1]

My sense of smell and taste has been gone for about 3 weeks now. Mind you I’m fully vaccinated, I also took the PCR and rapid tests just to make sure- both came back negative. I tend to be slightly congested at times. I’ve never had loss of taste or smell, It’s been really annoying. What I’ve been doing - I noticed when I eat marinated salmon from the grill it helps with my senses. I can’t taste orange juice nor oranges - I can smell the scent from the orange peel though, yes it’s weird. I take my vitamins, most of which are mentioned in this video. I’m also very active, I’m in the gym 5 times a week and I believe this helps as well, keeping myself hydrated, and cutting back on my preworkout intake. I started drinking lots of hot herbal tea with lemon, honey, cinnamon, this has also helped me. I also tried popcorn in the microwave - the process of the popcorn stimulates my sense of smell with the butter, etc. Chewing speriment or winter fresh gum may also help. My taste and smell has slowly increased since then. Bottom line - be patient and stick with a healthy routine. Good thing from this is it’s helped me to tone down a bit as I’m not eating hamburgers lol. Most importantly is prayer! Hope this helps and encourages anyone going thru the same thing as me. God bless!

[@carlbrenston8436]

rip

[@TheLifeOnHigh]

I was in denial about my gradual loss of smell over the years, but there was no denying that I could no longer smell the very aromatic soaps I used during showers. Nor could I smell the malodors when I excused myself to the bathroom. I’m hoping these techniques will help me 😢

[@TitoBrozzz69]

Same here brotha 2 years down rn

[@1414141x]

I bet others around you do also.

[@ashleyrussell9009]

Thank you for this. I lost my sense of smell entirely yesterday. It was really unsettling. I am going to try to view it more as a science project to get my sense back than a huge loss.

[@davidhillyer3911]

Appreciate your honest sharing, and your advice was very clear, thank you! Hope your ability to savour aromas returns -- good luck!

[@warriorzentennis]

I followed your advice Vik and I am happy to report that my sense of smell has returned. I've had to start sleeping on my back to avoid waking up with congestion, but it has been worth it. This last round of olfactory loss lasted five months and I was ready to just admit defeat and move on with my life. I did get some humor out of the experience when I went back to my essential oil training and as soon as I opened the bottle of peppermint the smell about knocked me to the floor. I could hardly believe I was inhaling that level of scent for 20 seconds at a time :).

[@VikVeerENTSurgeon]

Really really happy for you, well done! hahaha, my essential oils are under a load of books in the corner of my dining room. too scared to go near it...

[@warriorzentennis]

@@VikVeerENTSurgeon much appreciated. I am currently in a movie theatre enjoying the smell of popcorn :) Definitely a very humbling experience...appreciating every moment with scent

[@kevsermantas1024]

@@VikVeerENTSurgeon Is that normal that one nostril doesn’t work after covid? Because my left nostril can smell better than my right one. The right one doesn’t almost smell. I am doing the smell training for each nostril separately.

[@kevsermantas1024]

@@warriorzentennis how long were your senses gone? It came slowly right? What about your taste? I am about to die, almost 5 months. I have maybe 20% taste and smell

[@boni1982]

Can you smell smoke, kitchen or anything from distance? I seem to not to be able to smell anything that is not very, very close. After almost 6 months I cannot smell garbage or any kind of stench.

[@moirahyde750]

Thank you for this clear and hopeful video. I’m only a week into losing smell and taste but I will follow your advice. 🙏

[@IslanderJerYT]

Hello! Great video. I just experienced Anosmia towards the end of my covid-19 ordeal. I lost the sense very suddenly, within the space of 1-2 hours. I had taste when eating dinner, then I had a cookie later for a snack and it tasted of nothing. It’s super weird and gives you a different perspective on how taste and smell combine. Anyway, I’m fortunate enough to now be recovering about 48 hours later and I have an interesting thing to report. About an hour after eating a caramel square fudge (I swear my diet is way better than this sounds!!!) I noticed some scent very faintly, or what I thought was a scent. There was a candle on the bookshelf close to me which is Sandalwood. It was so vivid in smell I couldn’t believe it! I can smell various things a bit better now (approx 4 hours later). I have a Warm Woods candle going which is nice to get the occasional whiff of. But I do still struggle with other scents. I can barely smell lavender or cacao, and I just had an Indian for dinner which was exceptionally bland. This is the weirdest thing I’ve ever experienced and I am incredibly lucky to not be more affected than I have been. I will be going to a health shop tomorrow to buy some essential oils & vitamins/omega-3 to aid the recovery process. Thank you for this video and all the best to you.

[@davidhillyer3911]

Thank you! A great presentation from the heart. I lost my sense of smell a few months ago. My GP had nothing to offer me, though I have been referred to the local ENT clinic -- so I'm hoping for some helpful advice. Thank you!

[@SusanJoySchleef]

I just discovered your channel last week and have enjoyed several of your videos as they show up on my KZbin home screen. Thanks for sharing good medical information in a way that is easy to understand. I was especially curious about this video because I had heard of anosmia while studying aromatherapy for several years, even tho I have not had to deal with it myself. It's good to have a resource to share with others who may need a systematic way to approach regaining their sense of smell. You mentioned a couple of times about getting a headache from sniffing the essential oils. From my studies, I learned that this happens most commonly with synthetic essential oils. I took a quick look at the two amazon links you shared for essential oils and I've never heard of those companies, so I can't speak to their quality. But I can tell you that the estimate I have often heard is that 90% of aromatic oils on the world market are partly or mostly synthetic! I don't know about the marketing laws in the UK, but in the US there are no legal definitions for terms like "100% Natural," "therapeutic grade," or "extracted from plants around the world." Those can be effective marketing phrases but tell you nothing about whether those oils are truly distilled from plants or made from petroleum by-products in a test tube. As you might imagine, sniffing artificial scents created from petroleum is not going to do very much to heal your anosmia. In fact, artificial and synthetic aroma chemicals can have toxic side effects - including a tendency to deaden your sense of smell. I don't want to add commercial links to your KZbin comments, but if you'd like some recommendations for a few of the companies I really trust, let me know. As a certified aromatherapy community educator, my best general guideline is to buy from smaller companies because they typically have tighter quality controls. The larger a company is, the more they need to purchase oils from a wide variety of producers around the world, making it much harder to manage quality controls for the dozens or hundreds of suppliers they may use in order to have enough source material to combine into their own bottling and labeling process to fill the needs of their large customer base. Essential oils are a completely unregulated industry so you really need to work at finding distributers you can trust.

[@marielaurencin5785]

I would be very interested in finding more natural oils. Could you advice me on the best brands?

[@paulballinger882]

Thank you very much for taking the time and trouble, to produce such interesting and informative content. The video on using nasal sprays correctly was especially useful. I have been anosmic for some year's, but am taking your advice in an attempt to regain some function. In general following some of your suggestions, I feel that I have retrieved around 10 % of the ability to smell. I will add omega 3 and the vitamin A drops . Regards Paul

[@shyannaballard4483]

Has omega 3 worked for you ?

[@__WJK__]

@Paul Ballinger - You mention you've been "anosmic for years" but you never mentioned the cause of your ANOSMIA... do you know what caused your anosmia???

[@raqibulhasan4351]

How the way does VITAMIN A drop work ???

[@cryptosamie4873]

I love your video - thank you so much for doing the "expanded" discussion.

[@VikVeerENTSurgeon]

You are so welcome!

[@hemiv8949]

beautifully composed shot and that narrow depth of field.

[@cutiea6]

Thank you Vik for helping others here, bless youx Others would only want to help for money that we all don't have

[@lemurleap]

Ps. I also notice that I can sometimes smell some of a smell when doing olfactory training but only the first sniff or two and then it goes away. And, I heartily agree about staying positive. I'm a foodie and a home cook and I do miss tasting food. On the other hand, I've been wanting to lose 10 lbs and have lost 7 so far because I'm not eating so much. It's so hard to lose weight, so I'm thrilled about that.

[@preoccupied4800]

Really appreciate your generosity in posting this advice. It must take a lot of time and effort over and above your normal work commitments and is just a great thing to do. Making a contribution to MrBeast, seems like a great cause

[@patkircher2552]

Very interesting. I’ve been unable to smell or taste going on 9 months. It’s really annoying and definitely depressing but I was filled with so much hope after watching your video. I’m going to start it tomorrow. Thank you so much. 🤞🏼👍🏼💕

[@sitshengisomabhena931]

I lost my sense of smell due to Covid last year July to this day I cannot smell anything it's so annoying coz now I don't enjoy my food

[@sarahbrower2453]

Im 14 months post taste and smell

[@ardaaydemir8164]

Hi, This is so beautifully said, I have lost my sense of smell from one nostril, it’s so minimal and the other one is there but it’s not as strong as before. This was after a septoplasty, sinus and turbinate surgery. I have regretted doing it because it only help all my issues for 2months and now i have face pain with blocked nose again. I was better off before. I will try this because our brain is smart and it will heal

[@crabbyhayes1076]

I lost my sense of smell suddenly about 15 years ago. I experienced bad smells for about a day or two, and then nothing. About 5 or 6 years ago, I went to an ENT, who put me on steroids and performed sinus surgery. It did help a little bit, and I could rarely smell something, but the times became less frequent. I have also tried smelling various essential oils with no success. For me, the worst experience has been losing my sense of taste - apperently about 80% of what we taste is due to our sense of smell. As a result, sweet and salty are about all I have left, since they seem to stand alone.

[@rebbedoes]

I cant taste anything

[@lynnepearce6389]

Me too . No sense of smell at all , almost no taste . Extremely sweet or salty is all I have left . No pleasure in eating or drinking . My only consolation is cant smell the roses and cant smell the s***t😂

[@The_New_Abnormal_World_Order]

check out Dr Berg's videos about recovering sense of smell. It can be done.

[@therealchayd]

Very useful video, thanks. I have have been without a sense of smell for the past few days thanks to COVID and you don't really realise how much the ability to sense smell impacts your life until you lose it. Will be giving some of suggestions a try. Thanks again!

[@debbie7771]

Did you regain your smell and taste?

[@davidmicheletti6292]

Ive had life long issues with loss of smell mostly related to infections. The final total loss of of smell came from having had aggressive chemo for testicular-ovarian type cancer.( I happen to have a intersex condition) But even that didn't happen overnight, it was a slow process. Toward the end my ability to smell would return when I drove on my motorcycle. As soon as I started to drive the bike my sense of smell would return instantly. It was as if someone turned a switch on and I could once more smell venting. It was wonderful to ride my cycle knowing I could smell the flowers as we would ride though the countryside. This ability to smell happened over a period of maybe five years and now I can no longer take advantage of motorcycling as a gateway to smelling the world around me. Now days maybe a couple of times a year at the strangest time my sense of smell returns for a very short period. Even then it isn't very acute.

[@donya_zidan]

Thank you Doctor for sharing your experience with us. It help alote. appreciated .

[@LorrayneHam]

Thank you for sharing your experience. All of this makes good sense. I BBC am going to try some of these.

[@celestepasq7158]

Thank you so much for your story and information!! I appreciate it so much!!

[@mario1415]

I will follow your advice. It’s been more than 3 years without any sense of smell. Life is just not the same anymore

[@VikVeerENTSurgeon]

I accidentally deleted a reply here, sorry

[@marindacoetzee6760]

Thanks for your excellent feedback!

[@Wifemomnana]

Still smell confused and something’s and days nothing for 6 months…also sad to not be able to smell my husbands scent after he has showered and put on cologne…and the cologne mixes with his body oils…makes me the saddest…positive is not being able to smell poo most of the time and not smelling bad breath. I hate how off things smell. I hope everyone gets their sense of smell and taste. Your video is amazing and useful and thank you so so much!

[@Angielove721]

Best Video I’ve seen

[@cynthiamacnamee8296]

I just now found your channel. As a person who loves to cook but cannot smell (for many years now) I'm sooo excited to try your exercises. I'm upset that almost everything you recommend from Amazon is currently unavailable.

[@rebbedoes]

How are you now ?

[@neishalandle3896]

Losing my sense of smell has been the most annoying and depressing thing. And I definitely can't remember how certain things smell. Tried the aroma thing and I wasn't consistent but ill give this a try. I underestimated how long this process is. Had no idea it takes this long to retrain the olfactory 😢. Have a bit more hope after watching this. For someone who enjoys fragrances, this is surely torture

[@curiousj1287]

It is torture for me. I enjoy scents, bread baking, honeysuckles on a walk, morning coffee, my favorite candle, salsa with fresh cilantro. Did you regain your sense of smell? How long did it take? thanks

[@CarolynMelgaard]

this was very helpful. I lost my sense of taste and smell 1 1/2 yrs ago due to Covid. Your video makes sense and I am going to try this. Thank you.

[@lindalambert1745]

Thank you for this information. II will try it as Ive been really depressed by the loss of smell and taste.

[@IslanderJerYT]

I understand. I only had it for a short time and it was really affecting my mental health. I hope you can regain

[@EllenC0503]

Thank you for making this video!

[@stevenarnold1005]

I am 6 months in with this confusion of smells and flavours... some being similar to how they used to be and others totally different... it is super depressing and feel like it will never return

[@IReallyLikePurple24]

Im the exact same been about 5 months and food I used to love tastes gross. Especially meats and savoury foods, Im really hoping it comes back and im not stuck like this forever

[@dorothyb3713]

It’s been over a year for me. I couldn’t smell anything for over 6 months, then I began to regain some scents, but onions, for example, smell different! One good thing… I don’t smell poop, at all! 🤣 But I do feel discouraged because I want my full sense of smell and taste back. I do wish they’d stop messing with viruses in those labs!!! 😡

[@Cnear21]

@@dorothyb3713 I feel the same way, se stuff I can't smell and I've learned to take the good with the bad, no farts or anything like that but also no orange juice or steak smells

[@T-REX72]

@@dorothyb3713 I’m the same way. Chocolate is nasty and gasoline smells different. Can’t stand onions and garlic. Pee smells sweet and this has been goin on for 6 or so months.

[@nancyf2665]

6 months for me too Now I'm on 6 ivermectin pills a day for a month and I think after 2 days I sense a difference. Just opened the pine Sol bottle to fix a floor spot and I could smell it

[@shelleycraven5683]

So happy I stumbled upon this I have had covid twice last time a month ago and have lost full taste and smell it’s so horrible but being able to enjoy food or smell the flowers so to speak I have got a few products that I am going to do what you suggest to smell during the day thank you so much

[@gauravp432]

Thank you very much, it makes completely sense to me whatever you've mentioned here in the video of how it feels that one day we feel like yeah we're getting the smells and another day not. It's really scary sometimes and annoying. Sometimes I laugh in frustration feeling like if I'm ever gonna get it back 100% again. There was a time I used to smell everything like food to identify whether it's good or not whether I'd like it or not. Or if I'm cooking something I'll smell it to check if it's perfectly cooked or something is missing. Thinking of those days it makes me feel irritating now somedays that what's happening to me. So thanks for everything you said, I also have observed many of these things and I feel like there's no better option than staying positive. Thanks again.

[@vickyvaumont852]

Thank you,what i want to know is why it takes so long to recover the sense of smelling? It has been almost two years for me now. At the beginning it was anosmia and now I am confronted to parosmia. I can't appreciate life because all the good odours related to beautiful souvenirs and thoughts are gone or transformed to bad smelling.

[@Kevfactor]

Mine has decreased. the ent nurse said it probably was nerve damage. i'll check out this video when i get some time :)

[@robindawson2803]

Great idea about having a diary and spacing out the oils. My taste and smell has been gone since 2018. CAT scan to reevaluate Thursday. Thanks for sharing

[@siddiquedesigner]

any update about your taste and smell. I have the same situation.

[@jockerbroo7201]

Sime situation 😟😟😟help tips brooo

[@deedeemac]

Wow, I’m only 4 days into loss of smell due to covid. I’m 73, in Ontario Canada, and glad I found your video to know that I can work on it if this continues for much longer. Along with the loss of smell I’ve had blockages of my nasal airways esp at night. If I don’t use my CPAP my sats drop to mid-80s (I have an oximeter). I found your video when looking for instruction on how to administer nasal sprays. My GP, today, prescribed a steroid spray and Otrivin. I sure hope I can open my airways with the Otrivin so I get a good night with my CPAP. I hadn’t even thought that the loss of smell could last very long. I haven’t known anyone close to me with covid and other than in the list of ailments I didn’t realize much about the loss of smell. This is quite disturbing actually. I hope you recover your sense of smell 100%. Thanks again for your video!!!

[@johnmccartney857]

I am in Ontario and had c19 at the end of march and still don't have my smell and taste back. You don't know what you have till its gone that's for sure

[@Justme-jh6uu]

Have you regained your sense of smell and taste yet? I'm day 4 myself with no smell and taste and its torture. I've tried drenching my food in hot sauce and all it did was make my nose run which i thought was a good thing considering im so stuffy but it didnt last long and I still couldnt taste anytning. I've lost my appetite and have to force myslef to eat. And I can't sleep. My nose is so stuffy and like you said, mine gets worse at night when i try to sleep. So I'm up all night long tossing and turning. I really hope this goes away soon. My daughter also has covid but she was only sick for 3 days and is 100% better and never lost her taste and smell.

[@steve9189]

Great information. Thank you.

[@tracycavalletto1392]

I lost my sense of smell in 2019 after a bad head cold. I have seen ENT’s but they had nothing to offer me. I have always read that zinc was important and take it routinely even though it made no difference. For some reason, vit D3 makes my sinuses very dry and even causes me to smell have smell hallucinations (phantosmia). I quit taking it. I was recently reading a blog for people with anosmia and someone mentioned that thiamine can help. I started taking thiamine and my taste and smell are almost 100%! Try THIAMINE people! I hope this helps someone.

[@ningunoag]

Which form of thiamine did u took?

[@TitoBrozzz69]

Will definitely give this a go 2 years down

[@MakiYuzon]

Hi! After much denial, i am on a serious journey to find ways to recover. After having a serious flu last January, it was not covid coz i took the test three times (once at home, twice at two separate hospitals), i lost my sense of smell and taste. I did not think much of it at first coz I had stuffy nose but it started bothering me when there were days when my nose was clear but i still can't smell a thing. Three months into smelling nothing, seeing three different doctors, and unending medicines, for three days, i began smelling something burning all the time. I even woke my husband up the first night coz i thought the house was burning. After a week or so, until now, i suffer from "smelling" the wrong things. Dunkin Donut's munchkin, my fave, do not smell the same way as before. Even my shower gel smells different. I really wish i will get better soon coz my husband is an amazing cook and it saddens me that everytime he asks me how's the food he cooked, my response is "i don't know, but the texture's good". I can tell though if the food is too salty or if it is sour or bitter but there's no depth to the flavor and experience. P.S. i have chronic allergic rhinitis that i have to take antihistamine daily to manage. Always sneezing and always have stuffy nose.

[@oscarbenigsen4538]

A few other things that may help. 1. Notice your taste sensitivity with the very first bites of food that you take each day. When I contracted Anosmia, and then Parosmia, I noticed that the very first bites of food were the most vibrant. It was as if my olfactory system had unloaded itself of smells during the night, and were fresher the next morning. Then, as I continued to eat, it would rapidly become saturated and my sense of taste diminished precipitously. This led me to do the following: A. Eat slowly and breathe several times with your mouth open between bites. Exhale sometimes through the nose. Do not inhale through the nose. This seemed to flood my nasal cavity, taste buds, essentially everything to do with taste and smell, with cleansing air. I actually could detect small boosts of taste using this technique. The longer I did it between bites, it seemed the more I was able to taste. B. Exercise. Run or walk for at least a half hour - preferably an hour each day. It could simply be that brisk exercise clears the nasal cavity, which might increase smell efficiency. But while I think this is true, I also think there is something more going on here. I think that brisk exercise over time increases the blood flow throughout the body, including to the nerves involved with taste and smell. And this may help them regenerate. It may also help them regenerate more accurately and robustly. C. Sleep. I discovered that my sense of smell and even taste, became more stable when I was well-rested. I feel well-rested after only about 5 hours of sleep. In fact I can't seem to sleep longer than this. But when I contracted Anosmia, and then Parosmia, I forced myself to sleep longer. I reasoned that COVID had damaged my olfactory system and that it needed repair. The body does a lot of its repair work during sleep. So I took Melatonin to lengthen my sleep-wake cycle. I hate medicines. So I only did this for several weeks, then went back to my regular schedule once my taste and smell returned to normal.

[@brotherj3482]

What do you think helped the most, also do you think medicating with cannabis (smoking) can make your sense of smell faint?

[@oscarbenigsen4538]

@@brotherj3482 I suspect exercise and sleep helped most. I have always awakened at 4:30am each morning, even on weekends, to workout for an hour. But I must admit that I have never done well on the sleep thing. I typically get to bed anywhere from 11:30-11:45pm. But COVID took it all away. I began to recover eventually. But I think that it was only after the resumption of exercise, with a bit of additional forced sleep due to Melatonin, that I really began to recover. I am not recommending Melatonin, btw. I no longer take it. I just needed something to put me back to bed once I awakened. As for the weed question, I sincerely do not know. I have never done weed before. Indeed, I have never smoked anything. I have a strong suspicion that smoke in my sinuses and lungs is not a good thing.

[@rebbedoes]

Thx bro

[@pocod1]

@oscarbenigsen4538 How long did it take you to recover from anosmia? I'm glad you recovered. Thanks in advance.

[@christopherlewis5934]

This was a fantastic video

[@margarita3142]

Very useful video. Can you please tell me were can I find the vitamin A nasal spray. Thank you very much

[@joimes]

I've had issues with smell for over a year now since having delta. Smell training didn't work for me but interestingly 5-HTP appears to be working.

[@lemurleap]

Thank you for this video. I'm in week 3 of no sense of smell post viral illness ( I did not test positive for covid, but it sure seemed like covid. ) Like you, i notice variability in my sense of smell. One day I can smell something a little bit and the next, I can't. So, I took comfort in the idea that it may be generally trending towards recovery. I have found that im doing a combination of structured olfactory training (smelling essential oils) and random things like smelling jars of food when i open them or smelling flowers and the crushed foliage of herbs. I'm hesitant to try steroid sprays but will look into the Vitamin A and seawater sprays. Thank you!

[@terrimatz7463]

I had called it back in December January and my sense of smell and taste was weak but now the last couple of months everything I taste has the taste of how my canned dog food smells. This dog food has quite a strong unpleasant smell. So now even things like cucumbers, watermelon, tuna and practically everything else tastes like this!!

[@terrimatz7463]

' called it'= covid

[@rachelromero1061]

6:54pm I’m trying to find where the list of items to take is posted on this video. Thank you.

[@rachelromero1061]

Found it thanks.

[@deborahjaffe]

I am in Los Angeles. I got Covid May 2022. It has been over a year and I cannot taste or smell. I can sense if things are sweet, sour sometimes, but no nuances. I also get a smell of car exhaust or gasoline out of the blue. I have spoken to 2 ear nose throat doctors and they both said I will not get my sense of taste and smell back because it has been over a year. Both ENT doctors are very good. One teaches at UCLA, where they have the Long Covid Research Clinic. - It has been very depressing. I love being able to smell and taste. I am a great cook. I constantly forget I can't taste which creates a big disappointment when I cook or eat out at a restaurant. I'm healthy otherwise. I do take all the vitamins that Vic Veer suggests. I've tried the smell training. I'll keep going and speak to other doctors. ---- I did see this recent info about how the taste buds could have been effected or and the new ones deformed by Covid.

[@danleigh5382]

The doctor told me I had a really bad sinus infection in October 2019, but I haven’t been able to smell anything since then. That’s more than 3 years without smell. I really really hope this helps me gain it back. I’m getting really tired of not being able to smell anything at all. I can’t even get a hint of smell, it’s just air, it smells like nothing.

[@rebbedoes]

How are you now mate ? I know the struggle ❤️

[@marisamartin3664]

God bless and heal you

[@shina3788]

Yes same prblm iam also facing from 2021 Due to mild covid and no other symptoms except loss of smell.... Can I get my smell back?

[@mario1415]

@@shina3788did you try anything? I haven’t recovered any sense of smell yet

[@OtiliaOty-777]

Hi,how are you with the smell? I have problems with smell and taste...and it's been 3 years😢. Health to all🤗🪷!!!

[@karenpatterson8574]

Had a stroke of the brain stem last March. The stroke started behind my left ear and felt the ice cold ice pick so to speak go across my sinus. I didn’t sneeze for months . I was not able to breathe through my nose for about 6 months. I used saline spray religiously. I only was able to get small pieces of blood out once in a while. I never lost my smell but I have lost my taste. The swelling is gone but I do not get much out of my nose after I sneeze ( my ability to sneeze returned this past fall. ) i don’t know what is worse no taste or loss of smell.

[@rebbedoes]

How are you now ?

[@webfox8512]

Back in Jan 2018 i had nasal surgery for severe sinus infection, doctors removed nasal polyps through surgery, last year i lost my sense of smell and now it's diagnosed and it's is due to the nasal polyps, i have been taking steroid nasal sprays for one month and still no improvement, any advice will be greatly appreciated.

[@cloudskyline4587]

Hi I’m srt too and I can smell if I hold it close to my nose and my taste is better than my smell so my question is will olfactory increase the strength of odors eventually? And also is saline rinse a good choice for my stuffy nose? I know u using steroid spray but I’m concerned if That will cause bad with COVID Ty and god bless 🙏🏻

[@kp2441]

Your video is great, it is very calming during these stressful times for someone that has lost their sense of smell 5 weeks ago. I seen your comment that you got your sense of smell back, so happy for you! Did you fully recover and was it a spontaneous recovery or gradual? How long did it take for your sense of smell to return?

[@warriorzentennis]

This last round of olfactory loss lasted five months for me. After I addressed my allergies and got my inflammation down, my sense came back gradually. I would be doing my daily routine and notice my car smelled differently than usual, but would just brush it off as nothing. Then after a few days I would go into my house and notice I could smell things again...once again didn't get too excited. Real results for me came when I was cooking fish and from my office I could definitively say that I smelled my food being cooked. It's really hard and depressing to go through losing our sense of smell, but with patience and kindness to ourselves, our body will heal itself back to where it wants to be.

[@kp2441]

@@warriorzentennis Thank you for taking time out and commenting, it gives me a lot of hope. I feel there may also be allergy/inflammation on my part but would need to address that with a doctor. You're also right about the body healing in its own time. I am extremely happy to hear of your recovery! Enjoy your new sense of smell :) P. S. May I ask if you had completely lost your sense of smell (anosmic) or was it more partial? Were you able to smell your oils when doing your training?

[@kevsermantas1024]

@@warriorzentennis what did you do for your allergies and to get the inflamation down?

[@pocod1]

@kp2441 Hey, how are you now? I really really hope that you're recovered. Thanks in advance.

[@simonhulber6713]

Hello Vik; it's been 10 months since you posted this. Can we ask how your smell is at the moment?

[@celizabeth4506]

Thank you, very helpful

[@derpherpp]

Is there US version of these medications

[@robertacofie7387]

Thank you, very helpful. Do you think that after two years of no taste or smell I should accept that it is for good? Or should I keep trying?

[@VikVeerENTSurgeon]

keep trying, or at least really go for it otherwise you'll never know and you'll kick yourself in the future.

[@suzismith4392]

Have you gotten your sense of taste and smell back?

[@rebeccaclinemeservy]

Thank you! Looking forward to trying some of these. I had full smell and taste loss September 1st. Things started coming back but had a lot of the "metallic boogers" for a couple of weeks. Then things started coming back a little more, but tainted- now a rotten dumpster swill scent is very present. Bananas are awful smelling now and cinnamon rolls taste disgusting, so Christmas break was rough. I tried the flick on the back of the head thing and it didn't work. I can taste some corn chips, acidic things like pasta salad, chocolate. But peanut butter, cucumbers, bread taste really weird.

[@terrimatz7463]

I had covid back in December and my sense of smell and taste were kind of weak but over the last month or so everything I eat tastes like the smell of the canned dog food I feed my dog!! Like you even cucumbers watermelon tuna just about everything except chocolate milk taste like the dog food smells!?!?!

[@s.e1150]

@@terrimatz7463 is it back yet or still bad ?

[@mitroxy1]

I lost my taste And smell over 9 months ago and Boy I have tried sniffing the essential oils some powdered stuff prescribed for cancer patients. Electromagnetic imaging in that area and feeding it with electric frequencies to wake up the nerves. Others supplements from Health food stores. So far Nothing! Let’s pray for each other because only God can bring about a cure. Praying it will be sooner rather than later…. Love you all❤

[@Anna-zx6lp]

I have lost my smell and taste since August 2021 tried all sorts to get it back, but it seems nothing works.

[@starbabymady]

Hi did you get your full smell back and how long it took I’m on my 20 day I can smell but it fades away

[@sirfrankmacias4373]

What about taking zinc? Im trying it and on day 4 and still no full smell or taste.

[@numerous_use]

With fluticasone propionate, I understand how it can be helpful in clearing a blocked nose if that is indeed a factor causing the anosmia. However, what if the anosmia is not caused by obstruction. In that case, what purpose would fluticasone propionate serve, and how do we know that it wouldn't be hindering recovery?

[@candicejordanwellness6414]

It reduces inflammation

[@chanchan5349]

Shrinks swelling

[@joeypapperslapper]

I am 8 months into loss of smell from covid, my smell is almost non existent. I can faintly smell clothes but anything else is non existent. any advice?

[@mohammadjamea3831]

I completely lost my smell and taste senses few months ago, they only came back normally when I had to take antibiotics for a couple of weeks for my asthma problem, do you have explanation for this?

[@alberycruz2508]

Is your nose clogged? Having phlegm or mucus?

[@colt1954]

Should you smell direct from the oil bottles or put some on the skin/back of hand etc

[@VikVeerENTSurgeon]

I think from the bottle or from a throw away card. you might end up mixing up the smells or smelling funny to all your friend who can smell you.

[@MrChangeordie]

I haven't been able to smell for 3 years now, doctors say I suffer from allergies but I am constantly blowing my nose from runny/stuffy nose, I had nasal polyps removed and was able to breathe and smell but then my smell went away, had surgery for deviated septum and I can breathe better but still no smell

[@skltr21]

any advice on horrible parosmia? nothing is working

[@Kayla-bv8ut]

It’s been one year since I had COVID, and I am still struggling. I can smell chemicals fine, but natural smells are very faint. I finally smelled rain (barely) a few weeks ago and I was excited. Took in a huge sniff, and lost it and it hasn’t come back.. i can’t smell the beach, grass, body odor, etc.. this Is very frustrating because before COVID, smell was how I associated memories.

[@s.e1150]

is it back ?

[@TitoBrozzz69]

Dudee same i smelled rained like 2 weeks ago i was so excited been like this 2 years

[@technerdgaming9259]

Ok so did everyone lose thier smell and taste to just covid alone? Or did something aid in the loss? Like for me I was able to taste and smell fine until I had a sneezing fit that lasted almost 2 days and THEN I lost it. So is to due to bad congestion ad swelling? (Which I still have and why i still can't smell or taste) or is it something else?

[@etam8099]

It's something that messes the brain

[@jackbeames7643]

So I had Covid back in December and haven’t been able to smell since then, back around Christmas I was also diagnosed with a Ewing sarcoma in my nasal canal. Is my scent of smell loss from the Covid or the sarcoma. Currently going through chemotherapy which has started to begin to shrink the tumour however still no change in scent of smell.

[@MS-uz4ix]

Have you ever looked at studies or used intranasal insulin as a therapy or treatment?

[@gillbrown3653]

Hi oh my such a helpful video ...I had Covid 19 in Sept 2021 and unfortunately got it again this month January 2022 ...I too cannot smell or taste anything since September last year ...and I still cannot smell or taste anything now January 2022 it's Soooo frustrating and annoying 🤬...I will try your suggestions on sniffs with the list you suggested and keep a score too ...thank you so much for all ur ideas and help . Tell your wife your video is fab and you broke it down so I can understand what I need to do and try ..Wish me Luck 🍀 Take care and many thanks 😷👍

[@payload3778]

Any progress?

[@fletch665]

I lost my sense of smell three months ago, but not to Covid. I've used the NeilMed nasal rinse in distilled water a lot, BUT on this night I reached under the sink and grabbed the Distilled VINEGAR bottle by mistake. When I flushed my nasal passages I thought they were on fire. I could barely stand up. Minutes later I decided to flush the mucosa over and over with distilled water to dilute the vinegar and the damage. But I haven't regained any smell. I went to an ENT specialist but she had no suggestions after inspecting the area with her micro camera. Do you have any ideas or a specialist to refer me to? I live in southwest Oregon, but also visit LA every three months.

[@rebbedoes]

How r u now

[@rachelromero1061]

I’m 2.5 years with minimal smell and taste due to Covid. Been using the essential oil sniffing for over 2 years off and on and daily clearing my nose with NeilMed. Will try your other tips. The Pirinase is out of stock in the USA and UK. Where else can I purchase it? I only prefer natural non addictive sprays please.

[@austrobok2958]

Hi Rachel, same here, 2.5 years no taste or smell since getting severe Covid in late 2020. Miss taste more than smell. A few things did come back, like peppermint after about a year. And the taste of burnt fat after grilling meat, (meat never did).. Now after trying a chiro tip, citrus smell is there (squeezing orange skin). Bit scary, one wonders if those parts of the brain 'die off' if they are inactive too long. Vik says in this video it can take up to 18 months, thats scary as I'm way beyond that..! Vik didn't go into any medical procedures that might help, like SGB.. All the rage in Texas it seems.

[@Marimar0707]

I’m on 2+ years.. there are nights where I’ll have anxiety attacks if I dwell on the thought of never smelling again. Tasting would be nice but I wish I could smell my mom’s perfume again when I hug her. I can’t even REMEMBER it.

[@rebbedoes]

It will come back ❤️

[@raqibulhasan4351]

I lost my smell 4 times....The first two times it had got back after a week...third time in March/2021 I lost my smell partially and I discovered I got Parosmia...though it was not recovering completely.....but in the starting of new year on 9 January I lost my smell and I tested COVID positive......Earlier my food smell was OK but now it has changed and very weak...Has there any possibility to regain my sense of smell as normal way ????

[@s.e1150]

is parosmia when you can smell a weird smell whilst doing nothing and some foods taste are weird or non existent?

[@anneramirez9577]

I’m really struggling, so I’ve ordered the supplements recommended by two other doctors here on YT, and I’m going to the kitchen to see if we have lemons. I smelled some eucalyptus, but it mostly just smells “green”:so I don’t know what to do about that…the grass is dead right now. Mint is good, though. I’ve been using it to clear my palate/nose of some other foods that smell really funky. Garlic and onions are overwhelming, with the wrong smell, and I just can’t eat any legumes at all. Not even things fried in peanut oil. Sigh. They smell like poop, more or less. Oh, and red artificially colored foods taste like antiseptic cleaner…

[@reenieoneil1192]

Thank you for saying things smell like poop. I try to explain to my husband. He can not relate. So I tell him rotten meat. I'm frustrated without my smell or taste.

[@terrimatz7463]

I was so surprised to find these comments here and in other places. I thought it was just me. Most everything I eat tasted like the canned dog food I give my dog.???

[@basilandrigsby]

99% of the time I have no sense of smell or taste, then suddenly I can smell quite intensely for an hour here and there. Been like that for about the last 15 years.

[@briansmith1885]

Has anyone here lost their sense of smell from Flonase? I’ve not been able to smell after using Flonase (over the counter) after just a few days of use, for about 1 and a 1/2 years now. Any feedback appreciated.

[@itsblueali]

its been a year since getting affected by COVID-19 and my sense of smell is confused, I cant distinguish perfumes, some fruits like banana smells terrible!

[@johnwayne397]

so did you get your smell back i got a cold, with snot in my head but its not the usual thick green snot its mostly clear to white and its draining more to my stomach than my nose, and ive used nasal spray but i hear to much of that can damage your nose i hope that didnt make it worse, it was over the counter, i do remember using a nasal spray last time i had a cold then i stopped cause it took away my smell that time till i quite, but this time i took an at home covid test i think it said positive but idk, i used an expired one and it was positive and a new one with the same, but i hope its wrong cause i still have some snot in my ears and nose.. so ive had a cold possible covid, did 2 tests which i swabed my nose 4 times 2 tests each box so 4 tests, and used nasal spray i hope thats not to much on my nose

[@paulrussell6680]

Have you also lost your sense of taste as well I lost my sense of smell and taste just after Christmas an everything seems to smell like petrol

[@rasmia09]

Really nice advise. I would add: - Curcuma (turmeric) complements as an antinflamatory - Smell things with eyes closed and in silence. Eliminating other senses, you focus more on your smell. - Alpha Lipoic Acid as antioxidant, but in small (recommended) doses - Binaural beats for anosmia - Luteolin and PEA - Smell the different odours at your window or balcony, so within the fresh air you catch more nuances.

[@alexandrecouture2462]

Very interesting video! This is well into the long covid scope. It comes and goes and you can probably associate this with bigger work days vs easier days. At least, you can consider yourself very very luck to not fall into the other long covid problems, such a crippling fatigue and heart issues, because these makes your life much more difficult. It is all in early reseach, but some believe that long covid is due to inflammation either all-around the body, or in specific area (such as squeezing the smell nerves), other believe that the characteristic blood clotting of the spike protein is causing bad oxygen delivery to smaller blood vessels. I have long covid since January 2021 and it is now more manageable, but still very present. In June, after my first dose of Moderna vaccine, it almost completely went away for about a month, but it came back. The worst in that is that most doctor denies the existence of long covid, because it does not appear in regular blood tests. I hope the best for you and yes, patience is key!

[@fogoshakalino2537]

Thank you so much.

[@llfour]

Has anyone had success with this treatment when not related to Covid-19? I've never had Covid and can only smell/taste when I am on an oral steroid.

[@colt1954]

I was alarmed at how much Omega 3 cost anything from 12 to 30 pounds...i got some Triple Omega 3.6.9 for a tenner, will try that.

[@StarmenRock]

You need more than 1000 epa and 600dha daily tho. Most omega 3 capsules only give a third of that ammount every 6 pills. Try to get one with the most epa and dha possible so you only need to take 3 or 4 a day to reach these numbers

[@sherryannlaborde4713]

Hi my name is Lisa,I lost my sense of smell 7 months ago I have tried the 4 essentials of for 3 months and my smell did not come back ,I got discourage and stopped, and so I didn't do any smelling for 3 months ,so up to now I am not smelling ,I only get some small whimps,of the food while I am cooking ,I want to start back the old factory training, should I use the same essential oils?

[@patelhinesh935]

Did you got your small back?

[@s.e1150]

is it back

[@jonathanbriere6497]

Hi, doctor!!! may I ask you a question, please!? I don't know if you have the answer or if you're even answer questions, but I'm gonna make a try. I lost my sense of smell and taste, it's been 17 days now. I can smell a lot of thing, but very, very close (but I can smell any food or whatever in the air). The fact that I can smell from very close, is it a good sign that it's gonna comeback? I mean, if I can smell from very close does it means that with time, I'm gonna smell these odors better? Also, one day I smell better than the other, and vice versa... is it normal, a part of the healing process? Thanks!

[@kp2441]

Hi Jonathan, I'm in a similar situation to yours, has it come back fully for you now?

[@brentonwolf]

2 weeks ago was almost normal for 4-5 days now 2 weeks later it has gone down to almost nothing and coming and going all day Smell went Oct 6 2021 and this burning like feeling and smell has come back which made me realized that part I haven’t had for weeks Ollie it’s inflamed? Was so much better and now I’m like wtf.

[@Raya4eva94606]

Hi I was wondering if enlarged turbinates can affect sense of smell?

[@Raya4eva94606]

Also when you say memory of it, did you also go through few bites and leave?

[@welcometomyworld4073]

I think i hv lost my smell sense because of countless snizzing. Please assist what i do for regain

[@rachelwheeler9886]

I had anosmia for a few weeks after covid last November. In feb I started suffering from distorted smell and taste, (parosmia?). Any help with that?

[@T-REX72]

Your not alone. Chocolate is nasty, most meats are off tasting. Onions and garlic is terrible.

[@terrimatz7463]

Same thing here now everything I eat tastes like the smell of the canned dog food I feed my dog?!? For me chocolate milk is the only thing I found that tastes normal and doesn't leave that dog food taste in my mouth!!