The effect of olfactory training when the sense of smell is impaired
In 2009, Professor Thomas Hummel of the University of Dresden started a study to find out whether daily and strong smelling of different odors has a positive effect on the sense of smell. The study lasted 12 weeks and was conducted in a group of people with a lack of sense of smell (anosmia). These people had all lost their sense of smell due to head injuries, severe upper respiratory infections, or other unexplained causes.
One group smelled four different scents (rose, eucalyptus, lemon and clove) every day in the mornings and evenings for 12 weeks. The other group did not participate in the olfactory training. Both groups were tested for smell at the beginning and end of the study with Sniffin’ Sticks. According to the study, the function of the olfactory sense of those who did smell training increased, which was observed in scent pen tests and in the threshold values of the smells used in the training process. On the other hand, the function of the sense of smell did not change in persons who did not implement smell training. The results showed that even short-term structured training with selected scents can increase the sensitivity of the sense of smell.