One of the most perplexing symptoms associated with COVID-19 is anosmia or a lack of smell. What began as a mild, uncommon symptom affecting only a small percentage of COVID-19 patients is now being published widely around the world. For certain people, a loss of smell or taste may be so extreme that it takes weeks or months for their senses to return to normal.
For those who have this COVID symptom, loss of smell, which can also impair the ability to taste regular food, can be very debilitating and frustrating.
Despite this, many experts agree that a loss of smell or taste combined with a decrease in appetite is a positive sign of infection, as it may shield people from the other deadly symptoms of COVID-19, such as respiratory and inflammatory attacks.
Many physicians now believe that people who have completely lost their sense of smell and taste, as well as gastrointestinal symptoms including cramps and diarrhea, are only suffering from a mild type of novel coronavirus, which has infected over 55 million people worldwide. Not only is there no medical treatment for loss of smell and taste, but it may also suggest that they have protected themselves from serious respiratory attacks, which are normally fatal.
Patients with a moderate to an extreme type of COVID-19 who need vital ICU treatment seldom experience a sudden loss of smell as a symptom, according to Indian doctors who have been mapping the signs and symptoms of COVID-19. This may mean that it is mostly a positive ‘prognosis’ and just a mild form of COVID-19.
How Does Loss Of Smell And Taste Feel Like?
According to statistics, about 40% of COVID patients experience a modification or alteration of their sense of smell and taste. It has the potential to influence all of the senses in certain situations. The altered sense of smell can be so overpowering for certain people that it alters how natural scents and foods taste.
Spices, candy, and sour foods may all have an unappealing flavor. If it continues for a long time, the individual can become averse to eating and have poor nutritional status, as changing food tastes may also cause a loss of appetite. A loss of smell may often be accompanied by signs of long-term injury. It becomes more of a psychological manifestation the longer it lasts.
COVID-19 And Its Signs
COVID-19, which is caused by SARS-COV-2, starts to complicate the infection. These days, it’s important to keep an eye out for signs of problems and severity. Respiratory pressure is one of them. Labored breathing, chest pain, oxygen deficiency, heaviness, and shortness of breath are all symptoms of the virus causing damage to the body’s vital organs, including the lungs. The majority of patients who show signs of a stable recovery or who have a mild infection begin to show signs of recovery during the first week. They can also exhibit relatively minor symptoms of infection, such as a sore throat, cough, or even a loss of smell.
Is Loss Of Smell Indicates Healthy Recovery?
As a result, if the latter is the only symptom you’re experiencing and you don’t have a high fever or other usual infection symptoms, it could mean a stable and relatively quick recovery.
Surprisingly, another study indicates that the loss of smell and taste may be a sign of good recovery in COVID-19 patients. When your olfactory senses heal and rebuild after a viral infection, they misunderstand those associations, causing you to lose your sense of smell and taste. It takes a while for the usual sense of smell to return as they regrow.
How Long Would It Take To Recover From The Loss Of Smell And Taste?
Signs of improvement and rehabilitation can take anywhere from a week to a month or more for patients. If a person’s altered sense makes it impossible for them to eat normally, treatments such as scent training may be used.
These Are The Signs You Should Look Out For
Loss of smell and taste as a single COVID symbol can be difficult to recognize. It may also show up in flu, sinus, and nasal inflammation cases to some degree. Look for the following symptoms if you think you have COVID-19 or have been exposed to it in some way.
- A sudden loss of the sense of smell
- Having gastrointestinal problems
- Diarrhea
- Running nose
Consider having a COVID test as soon as possible if any of these symptoms last longer than 3 days. Keeping yourself positive is the best way to fight COVID-19. Take proper sleep and medication and you can win against COVID-19. Wear masks, maintain social distancing, and use sanitizers.
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