How to regain sense of smell with a cold: effective methods

Loss of smell in the common cold is a common occurrence. A person's ability to smell is lost if he has both nostrils completely laid out. To live in a world devoid of aromas is not very fun, so to know how to return the sense of smell in the cold, I would like to all who suffer from this ailment.

Why does the smell disappear?

Before you learn how to regain your sense of smell with a cold, let's talk about why it is lost.

The mucous membrane located in the nose is covered with a so-called neuroepithelium. When air gets on his cilia, a signal is sent to the brain, recognized by the nerve center responsible for it, like this or that smell.

With a cold, the nasal passages are filled with secretions, and the nasal mucosa swells. It is a protective reaction of the body to the activity of viruses and bacteria. But these same discharge and edema block the normal functioning of the neuroepithelium. As a result, the ability to smell is reduced and may even disappear altogether. In some cases, the sense of smell is not immediately restored even after the cure of the common cold.

To return the sense of smell, there are many tools related to both traditional and traditional medicine. However, before applying them, it is better to consult a doctor. The organism of each person is unique, and it is impossible to predict in advance what will be its reaction to this or that substance, whether it will cause an allergy.

Medical facilities

How to return the sense of smell and taste in the cold? First of all, the best solution is to consult a doctor. Only he can find out the cause of the rhinitis. Depending on this, treatment will be prescribed.

To combat the common cold and its consequences, as well as to remove the edema, various vasoconstrictive drugs such as "Naphtizine", "Nafazolin", "Galazolin" and others are often used.

Their instillation into the nose gives a quick, but temporary effect. In addition, these drugs should not be used for more than five days in a row, otherwise there is an addiction to them, and in the future they will act worse. Finally, similar drugs with constant application lead to the drying of the mucous membrane.

If the sense of smell is lost as a result of an allergic reaction, the doctor will prescribe antihistamines, and if this is due to the activity of the bacteria - antibacterial.

Before drinking, it is advisable to rinse the nasal cavity to clear it of mucus. To do this, you can use saline solution or a decoction of chamomile.

Inhalation

How quickly to regain sense of smell with a cold? One of the most effective methods is inhalation. The easiest option - to breathe over the steam boiled potatoes. For inhalations also use:

• Soda solution. Its temperature should not be more than 30 ^o , otherwise soda loses its medicinal properties.
• Infusions of herbs. To restore the sense of smell, chamomile, linden, mint, eucalyptus, sage or calendula are best. For infusion take one or two tablespoons (table) of dry grass and 0.5 liters of boiling water.
• Essential oils. They drip on a few drops. Used oils of fir, juniper, mint and eucalyptus.

With any method of inhalation, steam should not burn the nasal mucosa, so the boiling water must be slightly cooled beforehand. It takes 10 minutes to breathe over the steam, covering the head with a cloth. After inhalation it is better to lie down, covered with a blanket, and in no case to go out into the cold air.

Exercises

How to regain sense of smell after a cold? Help him to restore simple exercises. Nose muscles should be strained for one minute, and then relax. Repeat for ten minutes. During the day, you can perform 10-12 of these series.

In addition, the massage of the wings of the nose works well.

Similar exercises are useful to use and to prevent loss of smell.

Warming up

How do I regain my sense of smell during a cold? You can perform warming of the nose with an ordinary table lamp. It should be directed to the nose, placing it at 25-30 cm. To protect the eyes, you should use dark glasses. The duration of the session should be 10-15 minutes.

Another way is to use salt, burned in a pan. It is poured into a small bag, slightly cooled and applied to the bridge of the nose. To restore the sense of smell, this heating is done during the week 3 times a day.

Finally, warming up the nose with a boiled egg is common and useful. Apply to the bridge of his nose through a handkerchief, and keep 6-7 minutes.

Washing

Have you lost your sense of smell? What to do? Washing your nose can help you. It is performed to remove swelling of the mucous membrane. It can be done with a solution of salt. It is better to use the sea. If the usual salt is used, then iodized should be taken. To prepare the solution, the ingredient (1/2 teaspoon) is dissolved in 0.5 liters of water.

The washing itself is carried out using a syringe or syringe. The solution is injected in turn into each nostril, the procedure is repeated until the nose is freed from the mucus.

In addition to saline solution, a solution based on alternate or chamomile can be used for washing.

Another option of washing is to inhale the brine so that it is felt in the larynx. The solution for this is prepared, based on the calculation - a teaspoon of salt for 200 ml of water. The procedure itself should be approached carefully, take inhalation without hurrying up, and dosage of salt in solution should by no means exceed, so as not to cause burns of mucous membranes.

Drops

How to regain sense of smell with a cold? Drops, prepared from a decoction of chamomile, sage and mint, are considered the most effective. They drip into the nose up to 8 times a day, while the sense of smell is usually restored within two days.

Another way to quickly return the sense of smell is a drop based on aloe juice. The cut leaf of the plant is left in the cold for 4-5 hours, then cut into small pieces and squeezed out the juice. Drip should be 4 times a day. The course lasts 2-3 days.

There are several more effective drops for the restoration of the sense of smell, which you can prepare yourself. For their preparation use:

• Menthol and camphor oil, taken in equal proportions.
• Beet juice with honey.
• Lemon juice.
• Fresh juice celandine, diluted with water from the calculation of a drop of juice on a teaspoon of water.
• Onion juice (one drop on a tablespoon of water).

These drops are applied three times a day, for several days, until the result is achieved.

Cotton swabs

How to regain sense of smell with a cold? The cotton wool is soaked with the prepared composition and laid in turn in each nostril for twenty minutes. This procedure is preferably carried out before bedtime. The composition is prepared on the basis of propolis with the addition of various ingredients:

• Propolis with cream and olive oil (ratio 1: 3: 3).
• Propolis, honey and mint oil (ratio 1: 1: 2).
• Propolis and butter, mixed as 1: 2.

The components of solutions are combined in a water bath.

To impregnate the tampons, you can also use garlic juice (1 part per 10 parts water). In the nose they are kept for 10 minutes to three times a day.

other methods

As an additional therapy, helping to restore the sense of smell, use the smell of wormwood, garlic or onions. Dry grass wormwood, garlic or onion husks burn, and then about five minutes they breathe in their smell. These sharply smelling substances help normalize the perception of odors.

Quite good results are also the lubrication of the nasal passages with the "Zvezdochka" balm.

Inside you can take a sage broth. It is prepared from two tablespoons of dry grass per liter of water. The mixture is brought to the boil and insisted for 2-3 hours. Drink half the glass three times a day.

In themselves these methods of sense of smell will not be restored, they are used together with inhalations, rinses and drops in the nose.