Acupuncture For Loss of Smell

By Y.C. Chan, OMD, Dipl Ac

Patients often complain about the loss of smell. Millions of patients visit their doctors for this problem every year. If the loss of smell is associated with impaired nasal breathing, nasal polyps, sinusitis or allergy symptoms, doctors usually prescribe antibiotics and nasal steroids. If the loss of smell becomes chronic, it can be a difficult case.

Out of the people who lose their sense of smell, less than 15% of them will find out a cause until they are suffering from persistent post-viral olfactory dysfunction (PVOD). The loss of smell can then negatively affect the quality of their life.

The loss of smell may also combine with the loss of taste from the flavor of foods and beverages. Although many people may not be concerned about this, the loss of smell of spoiled food, toxic odors or gas, and poisoned chemicals can lead to health issues needing medical care.

During clinical observation a patient's loss of smell is often related to particular health conditions, including cold, flu, nasal congestion, and ear/nose infections. As long as their condition is improved, most patient's sense of smell will return. If their conditions are not treated with conventional medicine, some patients seek acupuncture treatment as an alternative.

A recent scientific study was reported in the April 2010 issue of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. Two groups of patients suffering from persistent post-viral olfactory dysfunction were treated over a 10-week period. The first group of patients was given weekly acupuncture sessions; the second group was treated with vitamin B complex. An improved sense of smell was reported in 8 of the 15 patients who had acupuncture; only two of the patients in the vitamin group reported improvement. This was a scientific study.

Acupuncture for the loss of smell is not as common as acupuncture for pain relief. Most practitioners have different experiences, so often the results are limited to a provider's personal skill and knowledge. If the loss of smell is related to severe nerve damage, such as head injury, stroke, major neck trauma, facial surgery or strong radiation for cancer, improvement of the sense of smell will be limited and some patient's will not recover their sense of smell at all.

In order to make a comparison of the smelling results during and after acupuncture treatments, the practitioner should perform a test to get an accurate record to see how much of their smelling has returned. The experienced practitioner always avoids using Electro acupuncture if possible, and must carefully insert needles around the neck or facial areas for safety purposes.