I recently reread this great article published in the Wall Street Journal last year. It is a great summary of what it's like to lose one's sense of smell, some tips on how to deal with loss of sense of smell, some tips on how to repair sense of smell, and the general importance of smell. It also has this great infographic:
Here's my list of how to take care of your sense of smell:
Exercise your sense of smell. Training your brain and olfactory nerves to differentiate between scents and to identify often ignored scents will improve your sense of smell.
Make environmental changes. Examples include:
Age well my friends!
Exercise your sense of smell. Training your brain and olfactory nerves to differentiate between scents and to identify often ignored scents will improve your sense of smell.
Make environmental changes. Examples include:
- Eat food with nutrients that promote a good sense of smell, primarily foods high in zinc and antioxidants.
- Stay hydrated - drink plenty of water and use a humidifier at night if you live in a dry climate.
- Keep your general fitness level up and get plenty of sleep.
- If you have allergies, consult a reputable specialist and devise a plan for managing them.
- Wear a protective mask when using toxic chemicals.
- Don’t stick things up your nose.
- Avoid prolonged exposure to really bad smells.
- Avoid exposure to cadmium and nickel as they the impair sense of smell.
- If you smoke, STOP!
Age well my friends!