Whenever I have occasion to pass a flower arrangement, it’s my habit to smell the flowers.
Unfortunately, roses are grown now for show and not for fragrance. I can’t always smell them and since Covid-19 has become a presence in our lives whenever that happens my first reaction is that I have it. For as most people now know, Covid-19 may cause a disruption of smell and taste particularly in younger patients. This is usually temporary, but the degree to which it returns is variable and not completely understood. The following is an article from JAMA on the evaluation and treatment of olfactory dysfunction caused by Covid-19.
I think one of the things that interested me about this is that they recommend olfactory exercises for loss of smell. I had never heard of that. Smelling roses, lemons, cloves and eucalyptus are recommended to accelerate the return of smell. I don’t know how effective this is, but at least it is something that patients can try to see if it helps.
So stop and smell the roses, both for the enjoyment and for the exercise!
