Our sense of smell or fragrance constitutes a wide part of our daily lives, sans which life seems pretty black, white and hollow. This pretty amazing gift of God heightens the emotions and triggers the olfactory nerves giving us the desire to taste a food item that has a mouth-watering smell or inhale the enticing aroma of a flower or perfume or any other substance. Also Read:  Anosmia: Causes, Diagnosis And Treatment

Anosmia refers to a nasal condition when a person suffers from a loss of the sense of smell. Sometimes it might be a birth defect characterizing complete loss of smell which is referred to as ‘congenital anosmia’ or sometimes it can happen later in life due to some underlying health condition, which is referred to as ‘Hyposmia’.

Anosmia generally occurs when the nerves transmitting signals from the nose to the brain after identifying a particular smell gets damaged due to some accident or blocked due to nasal congestion or some other health conditions, ultimately hindering the ability to smell. In most cases, anosmia occurs when one is suffering from cough, cold, sinus, rhinitis, a benign growth blocking the olfactory nerve, headache, stress or some injury in the temporal lobe.

Ayurveda usually defines ‘Anosmia’ as ‘Ghrana Nasa’ where ‘Ghrana’ means ‘smell’ and ‘nasa’ means ‘loss of sensation’, and usually this condition occurs due to imbalance in the hormones, because of unhealthy food and lifestyle habits, ultimately leading to aggravation of the vata doshas in the body and at the site of action.

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The holistic treatment of ayurveda suggests three different procedures to provide relief from anosmia which are:

Nasya:

It refers to the administration of the ayurvedic oil or liquid as a nasal drop through the nasal passage.

Vamana:

A process where herbs are used to instigate the body to vomit as a way to clear out phlegm deposits from nasal and oral routes.

Dhoomapana:

In this therapy, the patient is asked to inhale the herbal smoke to induce coughing and throwing up the mucus from the nasal or oral passages.

Effective Remedies To Treat Loss of Smell

Garlic:

The potent anti-inflammatory properties of the active constituent ricinoleic acid in garlic reduces swelling and inflammation within the nasal passage. The presence of anti-bacterial properties adds to its advantage by clearing out phlegm deposits from the nasal route and also eases breathing by widening the nasal passage.

Crush 4-5 garlic cloves and add them to a cup of boiling water. Boil for two minutes, add a pinch of salt. Drink the mixture while it is still hot, twice a day to restore the sense of smell.

Lemon:

The abundance of vitamin C, antioxidants and strong anti-microbial properties in lemon holds high significance in treating the infection that causes excessive mucous deposits in the nasal passage followed by blocked, runny nose.

Squeeze the juice of one lemon in a glass of warm water and add a teaspoon of honey and drink this lemon tea twice a day to get relief from throat and nasal congestion.

Castor Oil:

The oil obtained from castor seeds portray powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, that discourage the growth of nasal polyps. It is extremely effective in alleviating the symptoms like swelling and inflammation that takes place due to cough and cold and helps re-establish the sense of smell.

Go for the nasya treatment by instilling a drop of warm castor oil in the nostrils. Practice this twice a day in the morning and at night before sleeping to get faster efficacy.

Mint Leaves:

The bio-active constituent menthol in mint leaves exhibits anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory property which plays a crucial role in alleviating cough and flu symptoms that causes congestion of the nose, throat and chest cavity. Also Read: Pudina/Mint Leaves: Health Benefits Of Pudina Juice, Uses For Skin, Hair And Side Effects

Boil 10-15 mint leaves in a cup of water. Strain and drink the mixture after infusing it with a spoon of honey to open a blocked nose and restore the sense of smell.

Ginger:

Gingerol, the active constituent of ginger bestows the characteristic pungent aroma and flavour of ginger which helps stimulate taste buds and enhance the sense of smell. In addition, being a natural expectorant, it also shows potent anti-microbial and pain-relieving properties that help treat infections in the nasal passage and clear out rheum particles from the nose. 

You can take ginger by brewing it into tea or simply chewing a small piece of it to enhance your sense of smell.

Carom Seed

Carom seed, also known as Ajwain in Hindi, is an Indian spice that exudes a bitter taste. The anti-inflammatory properties of carom seeds help in increasing one’s sense of smell and clear up nasal congestion at the same time.

Wrap a teaspoon of carom seeds in a muslin cloth and inhale the smell while taking deep breaths. Do it several times a day until you regain your sense of smell.

 Apple Cider Vinegar

The abundance of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties in apple cider vinegar combats the microbes that cause infections and helps clear nasal congestion, thereby promoting the senses of smell and taste.

Take a tablespoon of ACV in a glass of warm water and add a teaspoon of honey and drink this infusion twice a day to get relief from throat and nasal blockage.

 Eucalyptus Oil

The dominant anti-inflammatory and mucolytic properties of the bioactive component eucalyptol in eucalyptus oil help remedy the symptoms of upper respiratory infections that might lead to smell and taste impairment.

Add a drop of eucalyptus oil to a bowl of hot water and inhale the steam for 10 to 15 minutes by covering your head with a towel. Do this once or twice a day to regain your sense of smell.