What is smell training and is it effective? It may sound strange too train your nose, but it certainly makes sense. Training muscles by going to the gym or practicing a musical instrument every day ensures that you (hopefully) progress in what you practice. So you must also see smell training. It is, as it were, physiotherapy for the nose. That training your sense of smell is actually useful is evident from various studies and studies. On this page we will provide more background information about smell training and if it is suitable for you.
Through our webshop you can order smell training kits with 4 Sniffin’ Sticks, and our smell training kit with 4 essential oils. Each set will be delivered in a box with a manual. We have these sets available from stock and can be shipped worldwide.
The smell training sets with essential oils and Sniffin’ Sticks consist of 4 different odors and are available in different combinations. The effect of all sets is the same, the biggest difference is the shelf life of the sets. The Sniffin’ Sticks have a longer shelf life than the sets with essential oils. With all of the sets you can perform smell training in accordance with the method prescribed by many (ENT) doctors worldwide.
The basis of smell training is smelling at least 4 different odours twice a day. Our advice is to do this in the morning and in the evening. You should smell each odour for 10-20 seconds. If you start with smell training there is a good chance that you will not notice any smell in the beginning. However, it is important to focus on the little bit of smell you may smell and also try to visualize how the smell should smell so that the connection between your olfactory organ and brain is restored. Take a short break between the different scents so that your olfactory organ can really detect the difference between the scents. It is of course allowed to train more often and with different odours, the more your olfactory organ is stimulated the better! For an optimal effect, you should continue the training for several months, studies have shown that about 6 months of training gives the best effect.
Smell training with essential oils
The original 4 odours used for smell training are as follows:
The above 4 odors are the original odors as chosen in the first scientific study about smell training. This study was led by Dr. Hummel (Technische Universität Dresden), the one who was the first to work on the concept of smell training. These odours were not chosen without reason. Just as tastes are classified into sweet, bitter, sour and salty, an attempt has also been made to classify odors. Over time, several olfactory training sets have come onto the market with additional scents, but also sets with multiple scents, this way you can vary and expand the training
Smell training with ODOFIN Sniffin’ Sticks (Duft Quartett):
Set 1 with 4 Sniffin’ Sticks: Rose, Lime, Eucalyptus and Clove
Set 2 with 4 Sniffin’ Sticks: Mint, Jasmine, Thyme and Mandarin
Smell training with essential oils (Dos Medical):
Set 1 with 4 essential oils: Rose, Lime, Eucalyptus and Clove
Set 2 with 4 essential oils: Mint, Jasmine, Thyme and Mandarin
Set 3 with 4 essential oils: Green Tea, Rosemary, Bergamot and Gardenia
Losing or missing the sense of smell can have various causes which are know as olfactory disorders. Some people are born without a sense of smell and other people lose their sense of smell after a viral infection (such as corona), traumatic brain damage or a long-term cold. The effect of smell training has been investigated in various clinical studies and it appears that it mainly has an effect on people who have an smell disorder as a result of a virus infection, such as is the case with a corona infection, cold or flu.
In addition, research also indicates that smell training has a positive effect on restoring the sense of smell in traumatic brain injury. In traumatic brain injury, the effect depends on how severe the original injury was. In all cases, it is recommended to start the smell training as soon as possible after the loss of the sense of smell. Even in cases of anosmia and in post-viral patients who have no sense of smell, it may be useful to perform the smell training for stimulation, although it is known that with congenital anosmia the chance of recovery is very minimal.
Smell training is not a cure but a way to speed up and stimulate recovery. Think of it as a form of physiotherapy for the nose.
To notice the effect of the smell training, you must carry out the training for several months. Various studies have shown that for an optimal effect the training should be carried out for 6 months. It is also important that you do it every day. In the morning and in the evening. Keep the smell training kit in a handy place so that you don’t forget and you can train your sense of smell daily. Training more often and/or training with multiple scents is of course possible and can certainly be encouraged. The more you stimulate your sense of smell, the better it is for recovery.
For an effective training, you should use the smell training kit 2 times a day. Preferably in the morning and in the evening. So put the smell training set in a handy place so that you don’t forget it! For example, think of the bedside table or in the kitchen.
Losing or missing the sense of smell can have various causes. Some people are born without a sense of smell and other people lose their sense of smell after a viral infection (such as corona), traumatic brain damage or a long-term cold. The effect of smell training has been investigated in various clinical studies and it appears that it mainly has an effect on people who have an smell disorder as a result of a virus infection, such as is the case with a corona infection, cold or flu.
In addition, research also indicates that scent training has a positive effect on restoring the sense of smell in traumatic brain injury. In traumatic brain injury, the effect depends on how severe the original injury was. In all cases, it is recommended to start the smell training as soon as possible after the loss of the sense of smell. Even in cases of anosmia and in post-viral patients who have no sense of smell, it may be useful to perform the smell training for stimulation, although it is known that with congenital anosmia the chance of recovery is very minimal.
The following olfactory disorders can be distinguished:
Smell training stimulates the olfactory part of the brain. Clinical studies have shown that people who have performed the smell training have an improved sense of smell compared to people who have not performed smell training. The participants of the study had to perform an identification and an odor discrimination test. From this, the people who had trained their sense of smell came out of the test stronger. In this study, some of the participants performed the odor training with strong odors and some of the participants performed the training with less strong odors. This showed that the group with the strong odors had better results in the odor tests. This shows that the concentration (strength) of the odors is very important. With the help of a standardized smell training set you can be sure of the right concentration of smell. In addition, the smell training sets also have an expiration date so that you can be sure that the markers are still reliable and usable.
Do you have an olfactory disorder and are you unsure what is going on? Then contact your doctor for further advice. There can be various causes for the loss of sense of smell and can have a major impact on your health. It is possible that your condition (such as anosmia) is not recognized by a doctor that causes frustration. It is therefore advisable to delve into odor loss before you visit your doctor or general practitioner.
The scents that have been chosen by Dr. Hummel are rose, eucalyptus, lemon (lime) and clove. As the flavors have been classified into sweet, bitter, sour and salt, attempts have also been made to classify odors. In 1916 Hans Henning tried to divide the scents into 6 categories. From this came the following types of scent (fragrance prism): flowers (like lavender or rose petals), ethereal (such as ether or cleansing liquid), resinous (such as resin or turpentine), spicy (like cinnamon or nutmeg), spoiled (such as faeces or rotten eggs) and burned (such as tar oil), the first four being closely related and depicted as the vertices of a plane of a prism (see image). This is also called the odor prism.
The by Dr. Hummel selected scents for the 4 sticks are based on these scents:
Unfortunately, there are no sets available for training the sense of taste. Alteration of taste often occurs in combination with loss of smell. This may involve the following changes:
Loss of taste is less common than loss of smell. Can you still taste the basic flavors of salty, sweet, hour, bitter and umami on your tongue? Then you are most likely dealing with a loss of smell and not a loss of taste. Loss of taste is probably caused by the virus being present in the saliva, which affects the taste transfer. Exactly how this works is not (yet) entirely clear.
We do supply taste tests for testing taste.
Depending on how you lost your sense of smell and taste, we recommend smell training to stimulate recovery. Smell training consists of intensively smelling 4 different scents twice a day. You should maintain this for a longer period of time, preferably 6 months. You can do this with the help of our smell training sets. Read more about smell training at the top of this page.
This differs per case. In some people, the sense of smell returns after 2 to 4 weeks, but in some people this can also take much longer. In about 50% of all cases, the sense of smell will fully recover during this time. After eight weeks, 76% of infected people have fully recovered. “Bad” 4% experienced no improvement after eight weeks.
At the moment there are many studies worldwide in the field of odor loss, in which researchers are busy every day with the question of what exactly happens as soon as a patient becomes infected with a (corona) virus.
Loss of taste is often the result of a loss of smell. Many people can still experience flavors with the tongue, but no longer get the smells through the nose. As a result, the taste is no longer properly linked to the smell and that results in a different experience of tasting the food.
Yes, you can. You can also order the smell training sets as a private individual via our webshop. Please note that the prices are exclusive of VAT. We have the sets available from stock and we ship them worldwide.
Yes, you can. You can also order the smell training sets as a private individual via our webshop. Please note that the prices are exclusive of VAT. We have the sets available from stock and we ship them worldwide.
Smell training stimulates the olfactory part of the brain. Clinical studies have shown that people who have performed the smell training have an improved sense of smell compared to people who have not performed smell training. The participants of the study had to perform an identification and a discrimination odor test. From this, the people who had trained their sense of smell came out of the test stronger. In this study, some of the participants performed the odor training with strong odors and some of the participants performed the training with less strong odors. This showed that the group with the strong odors had better results in the odor tests. This shows that the concentration (strength) of the odors is very important. Below are some links to scientific publications:
Many of the studies have used the same four odours: lemon, rose, clove, and eucalyptus. However, there is no evidence to say that these are the only ‘correct’ odours to use, so feel free to add other scents as well. In any case, it’s a good idea to choose scents that you recognize and remember. Try to stimulate your sense of smell as much as possible, even at times when you are not engaged in olfactory training. Think, for example, of a walk through the park where you can smell flowers or smell an orange while eating. All this will help you boost the sense of smell and recovery.modified olfactory training in patienst with postinfectious olfactory loss.
That is certainly possible, but of course we cannot say for sure. While COVID-19 has become indispensable, it is now more than clear that the loss of smell and taste is a symptom of infection with the COVID-19 virus. Post-viral anosmia is known to be one of the leading causes of loss of sense of smell in adults, accounting for up to 40% of anosmia cases. More and more facts are emerging that indicate that a sudden loss of smell can indicate a corona infection. In addition, it can be a clear indication that someone is a ‘hidden carrier’, even if they have no other symptoms. On this page more information about smell loss in relation to COVID-19.
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