There are a variety of reasons you might expect to improve your sense of smell. One reason, it is closely related to the sense of taste. Try tasting food with your nose pinched! It is also a necessary skill to describe the aroma in wine, coffee, beer, and even tea. Your sense of smell tends to decline with age and there are some more serious smell disorders that require medical attention, but you can take steps to improve and maintain your sense of smell.
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Method 1 of 3: Taking Actions to Improve Your Sense of Smell
Step 1. Pay attention to what you have smelled
People often say something about muscles "if you don't train them, they lose strength" but the same can be applied to your senses. The more you use your senses, the better! Learn how to describe smells. You may even need to keep a smell journal! extra practice, have someone hold various objects to your nose while your eyes are closed and see if you can identify the smell of the objects.
- The next time you drink a cup of coffee, take the time to inhale the aroma of the coffee before drinking. When you are about to eat a strong flavored cheese, be sure to smell it before eating it.
- If you regularly smell food or drink before consuming it, you can gradually help improve your sense of smell.
Step 2. Exercise your nose
Apart from paying more attention to the smells you encounter in your daily life, you can go ahead and do an exercise routine for your sense of smell. Start by choosing four types of smells that you like, such as fresh coffee, bananas, soap or shampoo, and blue cheese. Then take a minute each day to recognize and smell each of these odors to stimulate the receptors in the nose. Try to repeat this exercise four to six times each day.
- There is evidence that visualizing smells can help improve your sense of smell. Take a minute to imagine your favorite smell.
- When trying to identify a specific odor, you may find it useful to smell by sniffing the odor for a moment rather than taking a deep breath.
Step 3. Do exercise often
Research shows that our sense of smell is sharper after exercise. The causal relationship is uncertain, but it is reported that the sense of smell improves after exercise. Exercising moderately to produce sweat at least once a week is associated with a lower risk of decreased sense of smell with age.
This could be because exercise improves brain function or because it contributes to better overall body health
Step 4. Talk to your doctor about nasal sprays
If your sense of smell is compromised by obstructions such as nasal congestion, allergies, sinus infections, or nasal polyps, treating the underlying problem to improve your sense of smell will be necessary. Talk to your doctor about nasal steroids, which can help clear your nose and help you breathe and smell better.
Step 5. Consume more zinc and vitamin B12 in your diet
Hyposmia (the medical term for an impaired sense of smell) is sometimes associated with zinc deficiency and vitamin B12 deficiency in vegetarians. To improve your sense of smell, try eating zinc-rich foods, such as oysters, lentils, sunflower seeds, pecans, and consider taking a multivitamin supplement containing at least 7 mg of zinc daily.
Step 6. Pay attention to how you feel about certain smells
The nerves that sense smells are connected directly to the emotional part of the brain, putting rationality out of balance. For example, research shows that the smell of fast food wrappers, fresh bread, or pastries increases the likelihood of drivers' aggressive behavior on the road; peppermint and cinnamon improve concentration and reduce bad behavior in drivers; Lemon and coffee increase the ability to think clearly and concentrate in general.
Method 2 of 3: Knowing What to Avoid
Step 1. Avoid foods that cause excess mucus production
Have you noticed that your sense of smell decreases or may be completely lost when you have a cold? Blockage of the nasal membranes containing sensitive olfactory nerve endings can reduce the ability to smell, so avoiding foods that cause nasal congestion (usually dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream) can help. Reintroducing these foods one at a time will help to identify which foods have the greatest impact.
There are passages from the back of the throat to the sensory cells in the nose. If this duct is blocked by various types of blockage, the ability to taste food will be affected
Step 2. Stay away from substances that can interfere with the sense of smell
Various pollutants such as chemical fumes can interfere with the sense of smell. Cigarette smoke is one common example of a substance that can harm the ability to smell. Quitting smoking can help restore your sense of smell better. The ability to smell will most likely diminish within thirty minutes of smoking.
- Various drugs can block the ability to smell. These medications include stimulants, depressants, antibiotics, and other medications. If you think you've drunk something that weakens your sense of smell, call your doctor.
- Some cold medicines can make you lose your sense of smell.
- Make sure you don't stop taking prescription medications without consulting your doctor first.
Step 3. Avoid bad odors
There are indications that prolonged exposure to unpleasant odors tends to turn off the ability to smell. For example, someone who deals with compost every day gradually becomes less sensitive to odors. Try to avoid prolonged exposure to strong odors and if you must be near those odors, consider wearing a nose and mouth mask. Wearing a mask can help filter out the odor.
Method 3 of 3: Analyzing the Sense of Smell
Step 1. Understand the causes of a reduced sense of smell
There are a number of causes for the loss of the sense of smell. These include damage to the mucous membranes that line the inside of the nose and obstruction of the nasal passages. Damage to the mucous membranes can occur when you have a cold, flu, hay fever, or sinusitis. This is the most common cause of loss of the sense of smell and is generally temporary.
- Disorders, such as nasal polyps, can cause problems with the sense of smell and in some cases require surgery.
- Damage to the brain or nerves can also affect the sense of smell. Head injuries can cause loss of the sense of smell.
Step 2. Evaluate your sense of smell
Before considering seeing a doctor, you can ask yourself a few questions to start the process of evaluating your decreased sense of smell. The answers to these questions will help with the diagnosis if you go to the doctor. Start by asking when you first noticed the loss of your sense of smell and then ask yourself about the conditions that caused this to happen.
- Does this happen only once or does it happen again and again? If so, when was the relapse? Did you have hay fever at that time?
- Did you have a cold or flu at the time?
- Have you suffered a head injury?
- Have you been exposed to pollutants or substances such as dust because you had an allergic reaction?
Step 3. Know when to see a doctor
Short-term changes in your sense of smell are relatively common, for example if you have a cold, but if the problem persists and your sense of smell doesn't improve, you should make an appointment with your doctor. If necessary, the doctor will refer you to a specialist who will test you and make a diagnosis. You may be asked to smell certain odors in a paper booklet and a specialist will perform a nasal endoscopy.
- This may not seem like the most serious of health problems, but the sense of smell is important and you should see your doctor if you have any concerns.
- If you can't smell, be careful with gas appliances, and make sure not to eat food that's past its expiration date.
- Problems with your sense of smell can be an early sign of more serious conditions including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis.
- Odor disturbances can also be associated with hypertension, obesity, malnutrition, and diabetes.
Warning
- Not all odors encountered are pleasant. If your sense of smell improves, you'll notice that you pay more attention to foul odors.
- The sudden loss of the sense of smell is most often caused by upper respiratory infections, such as sinusitis and the common cold.
- In rarer cases, the inability to smell may be due to diseases such as cranial nerve I (olfactory nerve) damage, cystic fibrosis causing nasal polyps, hypothyroidism, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Kallman syndrome. Seek medical help if you experience an unexplained loss of smell.
