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Retrain, Regain, Renew

Retrain, Regain, Renew

How Aromatherapy May Help “Long-haulers” Recover Their Sense of Smell

Tay Jnr/Getty

Aromatherapy may be able to help COVID-19 “long-haulers” recover their sense of smell.

Are you one of the many people who’ve suffered partial or complete loss of smell and taste during or after your experience with COVID-19? Then you are not alone. According to Healthline News, 86 percent of people are dealing with this common and difficult symptom long after they have recovered from the illness.

Anosmia, or olfactory dysfunction, affects the ability to detect even the most basic of everyday smells (think laundry detergent, dirty diapers, fresh-cut grass)! It may not seem like a big deal—but losing one’s sense of smell is quite dangerous. Aside from losing one’s appetite and experiencing weight loss, people who experience anosmia cannot smell spoiled food, chemicals, gas, smoke, or fire—putting their health and lives at risk.

A study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, January 2021, concluded that “OD (Olfactory Dysfunction) is more prevalent in mild COVID‐19 forms than in moderate‐to‐critical forms,” and that the average number of days a patient experienced loss of smell was 22 days, but could last as long as 6 months.

Thankfully, research is now being released regarding methods for retraining the nose and recovering the lost sense of smell.

Smell training is employed to help people with olfactory dysfunction. It is a practice that exposes a patient to a variety of common smells in a repeated pattern to help improve the ability to distinguish those scents naturally. At the 2-month follow-up using this method, 75 – 85 percent of patients successfully recovered their sense of smell.

Recently, a woman who had recovered from her bout with COVID-19 in the fall of 2020 still had not fully recovered her sense of smell by early 2021. She shared that she was given Elequil aromatabs® by a family member to help her get through a lengthy MRI after having to cancel a previous scan due to anxiety. While using Elequil aromatabs to calm her nerves, she was pleasantly surprised to discover that she could smell the Lavender-Peppermint aroma! She enjoyed being able to smell anything again so much that she continued to wear it on her clothes for the rest of the day. She gradually realized the improvement in her ability to detect even day to day, common household odors.

When I first had COVID-19, I couldn’t taste or smell anything at all. I didn’t even eat for days because I couldn’t taste anything, and I also had a stomachache. I missed my sense of smell; it was driving me crazy! After wearing Elequil aromatabs, I lit a candle and I said, ‘oh my goodness, I smell it. I can smell the candle!

Another person shared that, after an entire year of partial loss of smell due to COVID-19, she wore Elequil aromatabs daily for a few weeks and was able to smell things she had not been able to prior to using them. These are just a few personal experiences, but the hope is that others can benefit from the effects of Elequil aromatabs in the same way!

Elequil aromatabs are currently being used in over 2,000 healthcare facilities across America to help patients through their medical journey. They were originally created for clinical use to naturally help patients relax during an MRI without the use of prescription medication. Because of its proven effect of soothing anxiousness, Elequil has expanded into all areas of the hospital to help patients find calm during painful or stressful procedures.

The demand for continued use after leaving the hospital was so high, a consumer shop was created for the public to purchase the aromatabs by the manufacturer. What makes it unique is that the aromatabs are self-adhesive and can be placed on clothing (recommended near the clavicle).

Elequil aromatabs are available in four aromas—Lavender, Lavender-Sandalwood, Lavender-Peppermint, and Orange-Peppermint. They are discreet and stay with you as you go about your day to have the continuous benefits of aromatherapy.

Woman smelling lavendar

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