Parosmia, All you need to know about this Post Covid symptoms

Ground Report | New Delhi: What are Parosmia Post Covid symptoms; Some coronavirus-positive people are affected by anosmia and ageusia, the loss of smell and taste. These symptoms can then give way to parosmia, just as unpleasant if not more so.

We knew about anosmia and ageusia, two terms made popular by the Covid pandemic. But the disease would not only cause the loss of smell and taste. As reported by various testimonials aggregated by Brut America, some patients complain of smelling unpleasant odours in the face of food. It's called parosmia, a distortion of smells that can turn the smell of a lemon into that of garbage or the aroma of chocolate into the smell of petroleum.

Scientists who have studied this phenomenon explain that parosmia generally occurs after anosmia, another symptom of Covid-19, which corresponds to the famous loss of smell. 

For parosmia, it is a disturbance of the sense of smell which gives the impression that hot food smells of “trash cans”, or even “excrements” because it releases many more molecules than cold food.

Federica Genovese, the expert from the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia in the United States, explains that “when the virus attacks the cells of smell, it destroys neurons”, which, in some cases, causes anosmia. 

What are Parosmia Post Covid symptoms

Post-COVID conditions are being referred to by a wide range of names. It includes long COVID, post-acute COVID-19, long-term effects of COVID, post-acute COVID syndrome, chronic COVID, long-haul COVID, late sequelae, and others.

One such Post Covid Symptom is Parosmia.

Parosmia is a term used to describe health conditions that distort your sense of smell. We may experience a loss of scent intensity, meaning you can’t detect the full range of the scents around you. Sometimes parosmia causes things you encounter every day to seem like they have a strong, disagreeable odor.

Parasomnia is often caused by COVID. Also by a number of things such as respiratory infections, seizures and even brain tumours.

symptoms of Parosmia

Parosmia is a post-Covid smell disorder, most cases of parosmia become apparent after you recover from an infection. Symptom severity varies from case to case. It can vary from mild to moderate types. If you have parosmia, your main symptom would be sensing a persistent foul odor, especially when food is around. You may also have difficulty recognizing or noticing some scents in your environment, a result of damage to your olfactory neurons.

Some common symptoms include:

• 1. Loss of appetite.

• 2. No sense of smell or odour.

• 3. Loss of taste

• 4. Depression.

Parosmia usually occurs after your scent-detecting neurons — also called your olfactory senses — have been damaged due to a virus or other health condition. Parosmia can be treated in some, but not all, cases. If parosmia is caused by environmental factors, medication, cancer treatment, or smoking, your sense of smell may return to normal once those triggers are removed.

Treatments for parosmia include:

• zinc
• vitamin A
• antibiotics

If you continue to experience parosmia and it’s impacting your appetite and weight, you may consider olfactory training therapy. Also known as “smell training,” this type of therapy involves intentionally sniffing four different types of odors up to 15 seconds trusted Source at a time each. The process is completed twice daily for several months.

Parosmia is not typically a permanent condition. Your neurons may be able to repair themselves over time. In as many as 60 per cent Trusted Source of cases of parosmia caused by an infection, the olfactory function was restored in the years afterwards.

Recovery times vary according to the underlying cause of your parosmia symptoms and the treatment that you use. If your parosmia is caused by a virus or infection, your sense of smell may return to normal without treatment. Olfactory training may potentially help with recovery, but it may take several months to see results.

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