Stellate Ganglion Block to Resolve Long COVID Symptoms Including Smell/Taste Loss

UPDATE 6/18/25 : The stellate ganglion block does NOT work to treat COVID related smell and taste loss based on a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial that was published in June 2025. Original blog article still published below, but is no longer considered accurate! ORIGINAL Article : There has been a smattering of anecdotal research (with slightly more media coverage) that even a single stellate ganglion block (SGB) may resolve long COVID symptoms afflicting the cent…

3/19/2022 0

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Smell Loss or Smell Distortions - Why and What Exactly Happens?

Animation goes over why and what exactly happens when the sense of smell changes, whether complete loss occurs (anosmia) versus phantom smells (phantosmia) or distorted smells (parosmia). Collective, these smell orders can be classified as types of dysosmia. The smell sense is due to about 400 different olfactory receptors. Quite a bit more than the 3 photoreceptors used in vision. A given smell perception is due to a specific combination of activated olfactory receptors just like how a par…

1/08/2022 0

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Video of Smell Training for Patients Suffering from Anosmia (Smell Loss)

A new video has been made instructing how smell training works to help recover from smell loss. Although far from a cure, it has been shown to help a significant number of patients who have lost their sense of smell particularly after a viral upper respiratory infection or head trauma where no physical nasal obstruction is present. Smell or olfactory training is analogous to physical therapy used to help restore limb movement after a stroke or ear training for musicians and singers. Much of th…

9/23/2020 0

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Smell Loss After Upper Respiratory Infection

Losing the sense of smell is not uncommon with upper respiratory infections (URI), typically with a viral common cold or flu. According to some studies, smell loss or decrease may occur between 18-45% of  patients who suffer from a URI. It is estimated that about 1/3 of such patients will fully recover their sense of smell with 2-3 years, most within the first year. Unfortunately, that leaves 2/3 of these patients who suffer from some degree of smell dysfunction. The key determining …

1/11/2018 0

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NYT: Story on Phantosmia (Phantom Smells)

In the Aug 10, 2009 issue of the New York Times, a story entitled " A Pungent Life: The Smells in My Head ," describes the life of an individual who suffers from phantosmia, a frustrating disorder where a person smells disagreeable odors that is not actually present. Such odors range from raw sewage/garbage to burning. Though actual physical pathology may cause this symptom including brain tumors, sinus infection , nasal polyps , etc. Too often, everything comes back normal. Thou…

8/11/2009 0

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NYT Article: Weight Loss By Manipulating Sense of Smell

There was an interesting NYT article on June 17, 2009 where some niche companies are claiming one can lose weight by saturating your sense of smell... either by enhancing or decreasing. Read the article here . Personally, I would think that decreasing your sense of smell would do more to help as this would decrease your sense of taste making food taste more like cardboard and/or sand. There is a medical condition called " anosmia " where a person has completely lost their sense of…

6/18/2009 0

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