Viruses are notorious for inhibiting the sense of smell, but sometimes the lack of smell becomes chronic. For these people, a hot pizza smells the same as cardboard — or worse.
There are two known smell disorders. Phantosmia causes people to smell things that aren't there. Parosmia causes people to smell strange or unpleasant odors from ordinary things. According to Harvard's Men's Health, you might smell rotten eggs instead of cinnamon.
A 2020 study suggests people can train their noses (or brains) to smell more effectively. The study published in the journal The Laryngoscope found that people can improve their senses of smell and recover from smell disorders by using a sniff kit. The kit has a variety of smells. Participants in the study sniffed the smells twice a day for six months.
You can buy sniff or scent kits online. Most of them start with four scents: rose, lemon, clove and eucalyptus.
However, if you haven't been able to smell for a while, see a doctor to rule out other problems.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.