Could vitamin A restore sense of smell after Covid?
One of the hallmarks of a Covid infection is loss of the sense of smell, which often affects the sense of taste too. Not that Covid is the first virus to do this – many upper respiratory viruses do the same thing, including the flu virus.
Most people regain their sense of smell in a few weeks but some never do. Smell loss is due to damage to the sensors in the nose lining. But is there a remedy to help them heal?
Previous research from Germany has shown the potential benefit of vitamin A, and researchers at the University of East Anglia and James Paget University Hospital will now explore how this treatment helps repair damaged nose tissues.
Smell-loss expert Prof Carl Philpott from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “The huge rise in smell loss caused by Covid-19 has created worldwide demand for treatment. And around one in 10 people who experience smell loss report their sense of smell has not returned to normal four weeks after falling ill.
“It’s a big problem, and our previous research has shown the impact of smell loss – including depression, anxiety and isolation, as well as risk of danger from hazards such as gas and spoiled food, and changes in weight due to reduced appetite.
“We want to find out whether there is an increase in the size and activity of damaged smell pathways in patients’ brains when they are treated with vitamin A nasal drops.
“This would show recovery of the damage caused by common viral infections, including Covid-19, in the nose.”
Patients will either receive a 12-week course of nasal vitamin A drops or inactive drops, and have their brains scanned before and after treatment. The scans will be compared to those of a control group who haven’t been treated with vitamin A drops. Prof Philpott said: “The patients will be smelling distinctive odours, roses and rotten eggs, while special MRI brain scans are taken.
“We will look for changes in the size of the olfactory bulb – an area above the nose where the smell nerves join together and connect to the brain.
“We will also look at activity in areas of the brain linked to recognising smells,” he added.
To take part in this trial, patients need to be referred to The Smell and Taste Clinic at the James Paget University Hospital by their GP.
Recruitment is expected to begin in December 2021.
■ To find out more visit rhinologygroup.uea.ac.uk/apollo-trial or contact apollo.trial@uea.ac.uk
I gave up begging The Dark Lord to tidy her room after she tried to convince me her room isn’t in fact messy and that her organisational skills are just too advanced for everyone else to understand.
And after seeing the results of a search to find the UK’s messiest child’s bedroom competition, I’m relieved to discover that my own offspring isn’t as bad as I suspected.
The nationwide search for the UK’s messiest children’s bedroom by Happy Beds has awarded the prize of a new bed worth £400 to an eight-year-old girl from Glasgow. At that price, I presume it makes itself in the morning.
After sifting through over 100 messy bedrooms sent in from parents all over the country, they crowned Emily the messiest child, and also revealed some of the shocking runners-up.
Obviously we haven’t included the surnames or photos of the children to protect the guilty! Those of a nervous disposition, look away now… Emily’s dad, Steve, says: “Even after tidying is enforced, it only takes a week to revert back to looking like a bombsite. I’m hoping a new bed inspires positive change!”
Yeah, good luck with that, Steve.
While there was fierce competition for the top spot, some didn’t look like they were trying nearly hard enough. But notable runners-up included six-year-old Emma in Poole, Dorset, and Jamie, 10, from London.
In fact the caption on the post from Emma’s parents just read: “HELP!” I hope someone’s rescued them from being buried alive by pink toys.
Email me at siobhan.mcnally@mirror.co.uk or write to Community Corner, PO Box 791, Winchester SO23 3RP.
Please note, if you send us photos of your grandchildren, we’ll also need permission of one of their parents to print them... Thanks! Yours, Siobhan