a substantial risk factor for anxiety and depression.
“The loss of your taste and smell is also an invisible, or hidden, disability; other people can’t readily observe this condition. Individuals contending with the loss of their taste and smell may experience isolation and loneliness because others do not know about or understand their experience,” Talkspace therapist Liz Kelly explains.
In addition to anxiety and depression, a loss of taste and smell can also cause eating disorders.
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How to cope with loss of taste and smell
Phillips says that the study participants found creative ways to cope with the loss of smell and taste:
1. Eating textured foods
“Crunchiness was one of those things that people mentioned along with texture,” she says. “And some of the texture was different. Some people really liked soft things, some liked crunchy things along those lines. It seemed as if texture was a really important component.”
For example, strawberries were among the foods the women ate because they could sense the texture of the fruit.
2. Eating cold foods
“It seemed like the patients we interviewed liked cold things. They liked carbonated beverages,” she adds.
3. Going to places with strong smells
Other strategies included going to a candle store or a coffee shop to experience strong smells. A recent study found that smell training could be helpful in regaining scent. Try sniffing essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus, rose, cinnamon and chocolate a couple of times a day. If you are unable to smell the scents, try using your mind to remember how the scents smelled.
If your mental health as been impacted by the loss of taste and smell, the following may help: