This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure here.
This post is all about how to cope with a parosmia pregnancy after COVID.
Parosmia Pregnancy: How to Cope
How It Started
In October of 2021 I contracted COVID-19 while traveling. I, like thousands of others, lost my taste and smell. I was still able to sense salt and sweet sensations but for the most part my taste and smell was gone. It took about a week or so for my smell and taste to start to return. At first when I got it back, there were certain things that remained very bland. More specifically, coffee, and I am by all means a coffee lover. Sad day. Over time, however, my full taste and smell returned! Yay!!
That is until December 18th, 2021. I will never forget this day. My husband and I had gone to Branson, MO with another couple to enjoy the Christmas display at Silver Dollar City. It was like a switch had flipped that day. Suddenly things started to smell foreign, and it started out with everything smelling the same. I was beside myself and I’m pretty sure my husband and our friends were about done hearing “what is that smell” by the end of the trip. I just knew something was very wrong.
Discovering Parosmia
When I got home from our trip, we had dinner at my mom’s. I literally had to run to the bathroom to avoid throwing up from the horrible smell. After this, I started doing research, determined to find out what on earth was going on with me. That’s when I learned about Parosmia and Anosmia.
Parosmia is a phrase used to describe health conditions that can cause normal things that you are around every day to suddenly have a strong, revolting odor. Anosmia, also known as smell blindness, is a partial or full loss of smell.
Parosmia was spot on for what I was experiencing. The “strong revolting odor” is very difficult to describe to someone who has never experienced it. The closest thing I can compare it to is if someone threw up into a trash can full of rotten fruit and then lit the trash can on fire. As horrible as that sounds, it still doesn’t do it justice.
However, I had a little twist to my story. On December 29th, 2021 I got a positive pregnancy test. So, what was it? Was I just having smell aversions due to the newfound pregnancy, or did I have this new Parosmia thing due to COVID-19? The answer is … who knows. There is still research being done but I truly believe it was just the perfect storm. The one thing I do know is that pregnant or not, this condition is horrible. I was seeking ANY and ALL information I could find to understand what was happening to me. Not to mention, ways to get it to PLEASE STOP.
Facebook groups
One of the best things I found were Facebook groups. Groups of people all going through the same thing, all at different stages, with their own stories and experiences. Finding this community of people truly kept me sane when I was feeling so alone and like no one around me understood. This condition is honestly so lonely. Typically, the people in your family and/or friend groups are not experiencing the same thing. Life revolves around food. Birthday parties and holidays or just dinner with the family. While your family is enjoying dinner and you’re having trouble even keeping food down due to the smell or taste, it’s really hard to feel understood or heard. These groups really helped me with that, and I highly recommend finding a place in these little, but growing, online communities.
You will almost certainly come across allllll of the tips and tricks that everyone is desperately trying in order to find some kind of improvement or quick cure. I will go ahead and tell you, there is no quick fix for this and unfortunately, you will most likely be dealing with this for a while. However, there ARE things that can possibly help or at least make your life more bearable.
Essential Oils
First, the one and only thing I will steer you away from if you are pregnant. Rosemary, Clove, and Cinnamon oil. These essential oils, among others, can cause uterine contractions and are a no-no for pregnancy. A lot of people with Parosmia and Anosmia are using these oils in various ways to find improvement. I personally used a smell training kit that I got off of Amazon and just omitted the oils that I found were unsafe. I didn’t feel as though it did a lot for me, but I also didn’t use it super consistently. Using it right before eating was when it worked best for me. Please consult your doctor and/or do your own research before using essential oils while pregnant
Nose Clip
One of the most common things that I have seen used is the trusty nose clip. This method absolutely works; however, I never personally purchased a nose clip. I just pinched my nose. This works but can be a little uncomfortable. It’s also a great conversation starter in public lol
The Burnt Orange Trick
One remedy that spread like wildfire on social media is the burnt orange trick. This is where you take an orange and burn it, with the peel on, either on a grill or on the stove top. Once you have blackened all sides of the orange, you peel the orange (careful, I’m sure it’s hot) and then mash it up with cinnamon and sugar or brown sugar and eat it! Some people have reported that this worked for them. Others say not so much. I personally never tried this method but there are TONS of videos on the internet with others accounting their experience.
The Stellate Ganglion Block
The stellate ganglion block is a highly debated procedure. “The stellate ganglion is part of the sympathetic nervous system that is located in your neck, on either side of your voice box. A stellate ganglion block is an injection of medication into these nerves that can help relieve pain in the head, neck, upper arm and upper chest. It also can help increase circulation and blood supply to the arm.” This procedure has been around but is now being used to treat parosmia, anosmia and hyposmia. A lot of healthcare providers will not do this procedure for pregnant women, but some will. The procedure has a 90% success rate and people have begun flying in from other countries to have it done. This is a procedure you will see a lot about in Facebook groups as well as other forms of social media such as TikTok.
The Wait it Out Method
Hate to say it but this has been my method. I had a long period of avoiding most foods. I had only a few “safe” foods and I lost quite a bit of weight at first. The best thing was to just keep experimenting with different foods. The more I tried the more I found that I could eat and could add those foods and drinks to my diet. The worst foods/smells for me were onion, garlic, any meat and coffee. I still can’t go near coffee or most sodas. But honestly this has been good for my pregnancy as I got away from caffeine and highly sugary drinks and was drinking mainly water! I experienced a big improvement when I got to about 18-19 weeks of pregnancy and was able to add a lot back to my diet including chicken! Thank goodness!
Parosmia Pregnancy Wrapped Up
The best advice I have is be patient, experiment a lot, and don’t shy away from trying things based on the initial smell. I have had many foods that smelled horrible upon first inspection and then once I took a few bites things got better almost as if my brain needed to catch up and process what I was eating and what it was supposed to smell/taste like. If you can avoid smelling the food first and just jumping in for a first bite it usually doesn’t taste as bad! The nose clip is always an option if you need to just get some calories in!
Unfortunately, there are some foods and drinks that are just going to be a no-go. I have learned to adjust! Absolutely consult your doctor if you feel you need to and do your own research. This is very different for everyone. Some things are going to work for you that might not have worked for others and vice versa. Don’t get discouraged if something doesn’t work, luckily there are more studies being done and hopefully there will be new knowledge of how this all works and how we can either improve or fix the problem all together! Lastly, I really hope you have a strong and supportive partner or family. That truly does make all of the difference!
Please feel free to leave a comment about your experience with your post-covid parosmia pregnancy, or with any questions you may have if you are new to this!
This post was all about how to cope with a parosmia pregnancy after covid.
Mike West says
I’ve been been searching for information about this subject for my daughter who has the same condition. Very timely post for me. Great article!
נערת ליווי אילת says
Im pretty pleased to uncover this site. I want to to thank you for your time due to this fantastic read!! I definitely loved every part of it and i also have you book-marked to look at new stuff on your site.