(Joanne Silberner/ NPR) — About 25 years ago, after a particularly bad cold, I suddenly lost my sense of smell — I could no longer sense the difference between sweaty tennis shoes and a fragrant rose. Since then, my olfactory discernment comes and goes, and most of the time it’s just gone. I always figured there wasn’t much I could do about that, and it hasn’t been terrible. My taste buds still work, and I adore fine chocolate.
But when COVID-19 hit, the inability to detect odors and fragrances became a diagnostic symptom that upset a lot of COVID-19 sufferers, many of whom also lost their sense of taste. That got me thinking — what does it really mean to have a disordered sense of smell?
Does it matter that with my eyes closed I can’t tell if I’m in an overripe gym or a perfume store? And is there hope that I’ll ever again be able to smell a wet dog or freesia or a gas leak or a raw onion? (…)