Q I heard about something called olfactory training. How can I do it at home?
A Olfactory training involves smelling four scents - rose, lemon, eucalyptus, and clove - for 30 seconds each, twice a day, while concentrating. The key is to actively recall the memory and image of each scent as you smell it. Doing it consistently for at least 12 weeks promotes regeneration of the olfactory epithelium and neural plasticity, speeding recovery.
Detailed Answer
Olfactory training is a method established in 2009 by the research team of Thomas Hummel, and it is the non-drug treatment with the highest level of evidence for post-COVID and post-viral smell disorders.
Basic protocol:
- Scents: four kinds - rose, lemon, eucalyptus, and cloves
- Method: place each scent in a jar and gently inhale from a distance of 15 to 20 cm, concentrating for 30 seconds
- Concentration: actively recall the memory and image of the scent as you smell it
- Frequency: twice a day, for at least 12 weeks; ideally continue for 6 months
Several RCTs have confirmed meaningful improvement compared with no-treatment groups in post-viral smell disorder.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
At Dongjedang, we recommend that olfactory training always be combined with Korean medicine treatment. When herbal medicine supplies sufficient qi and blood to the nasal mucosa, the environment for epithelial cell regeneration improves, and providing repeated scent stimulation in this state allows recovery of neural plasticity to occur more quickly.
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