Can loss of smell be reversed?

Mama’s blank expression assured me that she had no idea what I wanted her to do. The bunch of wisteria blossoms droop limply in her hand. I tried it again. Making an exaggerated motion of sniffing the flowers, I told her how lovely they smelled. She gave me a confused look and a polite smile as she handed them back to me. I gave up. Temporarily! I desperately wanted her to enjoy the fragrant wisteria as she had in the past. Dementia stole that joy from her as well.

One of the saddest aspects of my Mama’s dementia was the realization that she had lost her sense of smell. Can it be recovered? The short answer is not yet. But there is hope on the horizon. ScienceDaily reports on a study conducted by Columbia University Medical Center where researchers have successfully restored memory and synaptic function in mice suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. 

Of all the senses,the sense of smell is the most closely tied to memories – especially childhood memories. After more than a half-century, I occasionally catch a whiff of something on the breeze that takes me back to summer mornings when I was a child in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The sense of smell is also tied to the sense of taste. Once Mama’s sense of smell diminished, it became a challenge for her to enjoy her meals. I wish I’d known back then to add extra spices or flavorings to her food. I do remember one time her food was spicy enough. I came across a can of collard greens touted as ‘Seasoned, Southern Style.’ One bite and she got this surprised expression on her face as she exclaimed, “Woooooooooo!” We learned it was also helpful to smile, during meals make eye contact, use colorful dishes and eat with her. No one wants to eat a bunch of tasteless food alone.

Besides dementia, viruses have also been the cause of smell loss which is called anosmia. The onset of the COVID virus has been a cause of (mostly) temporary loss of smell. The current variant, Omicron seems to have little effect on the ability to smell, but I had it and did experience a diminished ability to enjoy the fragrances of some of my favorite things. Chief among them was coffee and Earl Grey tea. It motivated me to try to find out how I could speed up the process of recovering it.

I discovered a study in PubMed on olfactory training. For 12 weeks. Twice a day, those in the study were exposed to four intense odors (rose, eucalyptus, lemon, and cloves). Olfactory testing was achieved using something called “Sniffin’ Sticks”. The volunteers experienced an increase in their ability to smell. In contrast, the olfactory function was unchanged in patients who did not perform olfactory training. They concluded that short-term exposure to selected odors could increase olfactory sensitivity.

I decided to create a sniffing experiment. I placed cotton balls into separate snack-sized plastic bags. Each one contained a few drops of lemon juice, vanilla, and fruity perfume. I added menthol-camphor lotion to another baggie. I shook a small amount of curry powder, cinnamon, and mesquite seasoning in little bags.

Several times a day, I would pause and sniff the contents of each one. It was a fun practice as I began to notice the distinct smells. It did not take long before I was able to enjoy the wonderful fragrance of Earl Grey tea once again.

Has dementia has touched your world in some way? You may find yourself wishing you could take a moment here and there to enjoy a quick sniff.

But listen, there are good reasons you may want to indulge in a whiff or two. Recent studies suggest that it makes sense to pause and take pleasure in the aroma of flowers, as well as coffee perking, popcorn popping, and freshly baked bread.

Pausing to breathe in the lovely fragrance of a favorite flower does more than provide a person with a moment of pleasure. The actual process of smelling helps stimulate the neural pathways to keep them clear or even encourage new branches.

“Someone who is colorblind can look at red and green all day but never see it,” says Alan Hirsch, director of the Smell & Taste Treatment & Research Foundation, in Chicago, “But with smell, you can actually cause nerve connections to act, and smell what perhaps you couldn’t before.”

Ron Winnegrad, director of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.’s New York perfumery school, teaches aspiring perfumers the basics of perfume skills. His first rule of thumb: Be scent-conscious in your day-to-day life. “If you’re drinking a cup of coffee or tea, actually smell it before you drink it, and when eating food, smell it first,” he says. “If you do this regularly, you will increase your sense of smell.”

So, what are you waiting for? Find one of your favorite scents, bring it to your nose. Sniff. Repeat.

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Has your world been touched by dementia?

My book, “FinishingWell: Finding Joy in Dementia”, is a collection of stories and tips about doing life with my Mama.  May it encourage and inspire you to find joy on your own, unique journey. Find our group on Facebook