How to Regain Sense of Smell Naturally

The good smell or fragrance of a lot of things can bring joy, peace and positivity in a person's life. Some people call it the fragrance or aroma of plants and flowers. But in some cases, the person should be able to differentiate between the smells which can also be a sign of something dangerous like in cases when there is a fire, rotten food, etc. 

The quality of a person's life can be greatly impacted if he is unable to smell or he is facing difficulty in differentiating the fragrance whether it is of something good or something dangerous. This condition of a person's inability to smell is known as anosmia. The full or partial loss of smell can cause anosmia, which can come to the person's mind as a covid-19 symptom. 

This medical condition of anosmia can be treated medically and which will allow him to get rid of this problem and regain his ability of smelling, but, there are many other effective natural ways available for the treatment of this medical condition at your home with some easily available herbs, spices, supplements and other things.

Natural remedies for anosmia

Native plant medicine

Anosmia is a disease which can be a permanent or temporary medical condition. In some cases, the medical condition gradually curbs down over time without taking any kind of treatment but sometimes it does not go away on its own and in such situations you need to go for medical assistance and treatment. Alongwith the medical assistance and treatment you can try various homemade remedies which are easily available and it helps you to get rid of anosmia in a very short period of time.

It is also suggested for patients suffering from this medical condition of anosmia to follow a procedure called the smell training which is also very effective in improving the patient's condition of anosmia. In this treatment, the patient has to smell four different series of objects which have strong odours like essential oils, perfumes etc, and these things are easily available in the house. Each scent is to be inhaled slowly for a short period of time (20 seconds). This process of smell training has to be followed 6 times a week and three times in a day. If a person continues to perform this process of smell training each day as suggested, it will be very effective rather than alternating. 

The person has to be fully concentrated and attentive to the smell for the complete 20 seconds. The most recommended odours which will help a person in the treatment of anosmia are given below: 

• Caffeine
• Rose
• Citrus
• Vanilla
• Cloves 
• Mint etc.

During the process of smell training, there are some people who can experience false aromas or fragrances which are not the exact odour which you should be smelling. This condition is known as parosmia. This condition of  parosmia is usually temporary and it lasts for several days but this condition gradually fades over the period of time.

Castor oil: Castor oil is regarded as a very effective treatment for this medical condition of anosmia as castor oil contains an active component which is called the ricinoleic acid and this is very helpful for the restoration of the lost smell. 

Ricinoleic acid also has other health benefits like it helps the person's body to fight infections, reduces the swelling of nasal passage and inflammation which occurs as a result of various allergies and colds.

How to apply castor oil for the treatment of anosmia

Firstly, you need to warm the oil on a stove

Put few drops of this warm castor oil in each of your nostrils and you will have to do this procedure for three times a day (atleast)

Ginger

Ginger is a highly beneficial spice which has proved to be very useful for smell training because of its scent which is very distinctive and pungent. You can use both powdered or raw forms of ginger in the process of smell training. Many doctors recommend the patient to drink ginger tea as it has a healing effect and reduces the inflammation present in the nasal airways and it is also effective in decreasing the formation of excess mucus which leads to the loss of smell. If a person who is suffering from anosmia uses either ginger for his problem's treatment, then he should try to use ginger in the form of tea bags and you can also make tea with the help of raw ginger by following the procedure which is given below:

• Peel and cut the raw ginger into very small pieces
• Then, boil a tablespoon of raw ginger with two cups of hot water for a time period of 15-20 minutes

Saline irrigation

If anyone has lost their sense of smell because of various medical reasons like allergy, cold or sinus, then a wash with salt water can prove to be very helpful in the reduction of these infections and the restoration of the ability to smell. The mucus and the allergens present in the nasal cavity are flushed out of the nasal cavity due to the wash from salt water.

These sterile saline solutions can be bought online or you can prepare this solution at your home by yourself just by following some basic steps and instructions. These steps and instructions are given below:  

• Take a cup of boiled tap water or distilled water in a fresh container.
• To the water in the container, add about half a teaspoon of salt and baking soda.
• Stir the solution and properly mix them.
• After mixing the solution take a squeeze bottle or a medical syringe and fill it with a mixture.
• Now, tilt your head backwards.
• Then start putting in the drops of the solution into one of your nostrils and pour it in such a way that you want to fill the back of the head first, not the top of it.
• Drain the solution out either from the other nostril or through the mouth.
• Repeat this procedure multiple times in a day.

Conclusion

Nose is one of the five sense organs and smell is one of the five senses and the sense of smell is a very vital part of a person's life and without a proper sense of smell a person could not lead a proper life.

If a person has some malfunction in their smelling then they should contact a medical professional right away but if they think that their problem is not serious enough to visit a health provider then, they should try to manage the condition at their home itself by following some of the tips given above. Following these tips will help you get rid of this medical condition very easily as this works well alone and works more effectively when it is combined with other medications. Before you start taking any of these home-made remedies just be sure about your allergies and consult with your doctor.