Smell loss: 'It's frightening'

Throughout the pandemic many people have reported losing their sense of smell and taste. Smell loss can be caused by viral infections and brain injuries.

Now the charity AbScent, which aims to end smell disorders, is hosting smell training workshops.

Rob Rooke is one of those who has lost his ability to smell and is a street food chef. He is hoping the training will allow him to smell again.

He said: "It's a massive factor in your life, you take it for granted. People don't realise how bad smell blindness actually is."

Video by Gem O'Reilly

[nickycleere]

Just lost my taste and smell two days ago and it’s such a weird feeling not being able to smell a orange or taste a strawberry .

[fosie]

Lost my sense of smell. 3 years ago. Which led to the loss of personality to depression and falling out with my partner permanently.

[dris]

I just got over the flu and I lost my sense of smell. No congestion but I can put the most overpowering thing up to my nose and smell maybe 5% of what I normally could.

[yung_Latios]

This freaking sucks I had gotten over my cold and still can hardly smell or taste anything after 2 weeks. This has never happened to me before I'm scared

[puiasailo]

I lost my smell a few weeks ago and everything I eat is either sweet or salty.... It's just weird.

[yaddayadda....]

I lost my smell and taste and i didnt have Covid or a virus…!!… its driving me insane 😢

[quartzboye]

Influenza B took my smell completely away. It’s been weeks and hasn’t come back yet. I didn’t realize how valuable smell was till I couldn’t smell even clove oil anymore.

[Myshelleallen]

Tears in my eyes 😢 I been dealing with this for the last couple of years, and it’s the saddest things in my life. I do pray that getting my allergies clear this up.

[mandovapehater]

Ive lost mine several times throughout my life due to colds but it's always came back. When I lost it with covid in October of 21 it never fully returned. Many things still smell or taste weird. Fecal matter, gasoline, skunks and hot asphalt all smell the same. It's like my nose has a new definition for these smells and it's all the same. Breakfast meats taste different too but not steak or hamburgers. Sucks!

[julianaylor]

Take this seriously folks, it's one of COVID-19's side effects.
This can also happen after an accidental head injury.

[okzoomer]

I used to have an acute sense of smell but lost over 70 percent of it from black mold exposure and other neurologic problems [high CSF pressure]. I always put things up to my nose impulsively ever since then, multiple times a day, and I attribute that to saving me from developing total anosmia. I've actually been able to regain scents I lost many times over. You have to give those olfactory cells and higher level processing in your brain a workout.

[meredithelise]

The only upside to losing my taste and smell is I don’t overeat anymore. 🤦‍♀️

[tu]

Something doesn't smell right here 🤔

[pete]

Lost in February 24 after a virus? can smell nothing but I do smell it is vile and undesirable however I can taste sweet, no polyps just had an MRI to see if it is nerve damage caused by the virus. Chances of recovering are very slim. Trust me troops it is depressing.

[starcreation]

Please help us with good treatment 🙏🏻....lots of people are suffering from this

[dyVal]

Sounds strange but TRY considering to smell veggies with natural healing content. The likes of ONONS, GARLIC, TURMERIC, CAPSAICIN AND BELL PEPPERS have pungent properties that wakes up, and clears the olfactory organs. Do it in short sizes increasing per certain period based on tolerance. Also, any soup with lots of spices are the best cleanse for the respiratory system.

[ririmr]

I was born with Congenital Anosmia (zero sense of smell since birth). Texture (crunch) in food is everything! PLS no bananas or avocados they are like mush! Sweets are my least fave as I cannot taste flavors at all. I have a cabinet in my kitchen filled with every hot sauce imaginable. I only buy unscented hygiene products. Fun fact regarding Ben and Jerry's ice cream, Ben also has Congenital Anosmia that is why he puts chunks of nuts, hard fruits and chocolate, etc in their ice cream, he does this for texture.

[itsagamer]

lost my taste and smell two days ago but now i can smell and taste

[awhi]

I can taste but I can’t smell. Can’t even get my gp to take it seriously. I am desperate for a specialist appointment. What if there’s a fire or food is off?

[DiaborMagics]

I've had a bad sense of smell as long as I can remember. Its not gone; I can smell many foods and other strong scents. However, there are other things I can't smell or have a tough time to. Most flowers people manage to smell from a distance I really need to press my nose into them and then maybe I can smell something, but usually not really.
And I watch a lot of anime and in those there's often a lot of commentary about scents; especially how rooms or other people smell. I can't smell other people at all unless they are really unhygenic or have lot of perfume on. Apparently you should be able to recognise your family members' scents even if you just hug them? I wouldnt even know if they have any scent.

Honestly I feel like I'm missing out, but since it's always been like this and I can still taste food it's not the end of the world or anything. But it does suck to know there are some important scents that basically can connect people and I'll never be able to experience those.
I dont think the therapy they talk about will help me, I mean, I've never been able to smell these things.