Lost your sense of smell after having Covid? Experts may have a solution

Experts believe they may have found something that will help those affected.

One of the most common, and frustrating, symptoms of Covid-19 is losing your sense of smell. A loss of smell can have an impact on your taste too. Many people who have been diagnosed with Covid admitted that foods no longer taste the same since their diagnosis. This is an issue that is affecting people weeks, months, and even a year after testing positive for Covid-19. Luckily, experts believe they may have found a solution to this ongoing problem. A new trial is set to examine whether Vitamin A can help bring a person's sense of smell back. The study will be conducted by a team of researchers at the University of East Anglia. The 12 week-long Apollo trial will treat people who have lost their sense of smell after having Covid and other viral infections. They will be treated with a Vitamin A nasal drop. Researchers in Germany believe Vitamin A has the potential to improve a person's sense of smell. The team behind the study said they “will explore how this treatment works to help repair tissues in the nose damaged by viruses”. Their aim is to "help improve the lives of millions around the world who suffer from smell loss, by returning their fifth sense”. The HSE said most people's sense of smell will return in weeks or months, however, some may suffer a permanent loss of smell. Experts believe people who have suffered a loss of smell should smell four different odours twice a day to help. The HSE added that cleaning your nose could also help improve your sense of smell. It advised: "Rinsing the inside of your nose with a saltwater solution may help if your sense of smell is affected by an infection or allergy." Drinking peppermint tea and chewing on ginger has also been suggested. Click here for more information on treating loss of smell.