Losing your sense of smell can be surprisingly devastating. Most of us rarely think about our sense of smell until it disappears. Suddenly, favourite foods lose their flavour, flowers have no fragrance, and everyday experiences become muted. Many people also describe feeling disconnected from the world around them.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, awareness of smell disorders has increased dramatically, but viruses have been causing long-lasting smell loss for decades. Unfortunately, conventional medicine has relatively few effective treatments to offer, leaving many people searching for other options.

Acupuncture is one treatment that has attracted growing interest.

A Remarkable Case

A recent video by an American physician discussed a patient whose sense of smell had disappeared after a viral infection. The patient had tried conventional treatment without success and had been unable to smell for many months.

Following acupuncture treatment, the patient’s sense of smell began to return. According to the report, she was able to identify scents that had been absent for a long time, including familiar everyday smells. Although this is only a single case, it echoes many similar reports published in the medical literature.

Stories like these naturally raise an important question:

Can acupuncture really help restore the sense of smell?

What Causes Loss of Smell?

The medical term for complete loss of smell is anosmia, while hyposmia refers to a partial loss.

Common causes include:

• Viral infections (including COVID-19)
• Colds and influenza
• Chronic sinusitis
• Nasal polyps
• Allergies
• Head injury
• Ageing
• Certain neurological conditions

Following a viral infection, the olfactory nerve cells and the supporting tissues inside the nose can become damaged or inflamed. Although these nerves are capable of regenerating, recovery is unpredictable. Some people recover within weeks, while others continue to have symptoms for months or even years.

What Does the Research Say?

While acupuncture is not yet considered a standard medical treatment for anosmia, the evidence is becoming increasingly interesting.

A controlled study from the Smell and Taste Clinic at the Technical University of Dresden compared genuine acupuncture with sham acupuncture in patients suffering from post-viral smell loss. The researchers found that patients receiving true acupuncture experienced significantly greater improvements in smell function, particularly in their ability to distinguish between different odours. Patients who had developed smell loss more recently appeared to benefit the most.

Several published case reports have also described improvements in patients whose smell had failed to recover after conventional treatment. These include patients with post-COVID smell disorders as well as those whose symptoms followed other viral illnesses.

It is important to remember that case reports cannot prove that acupuncture caused the recovery. Some people improve naturally over time. However, when improvements occur repeatedly across different clinics and different countries, they provide a good reason for conducting larger clinical trials.

How Might Acupuncture Work?

Scientists are still investigating the answer.

Several possible mechanisms have been suggested:

• Improving local blood circulation around the nasal tissues
• Reducing persistent inflammation
• Influencing the nervous system through brain pathways involved in smell
• Supporting regeneration of olfactory nerve function
• Modulating the body’s inflammatory and immune responses

These mechanisms remain under investigation, and more research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective

Traditional Chinese Medicine approaches smell loss somewhat differently.

The nose is known as the “opening of the Lung”. Healthy Lung Qi allows the nose to detect scents clearly.

After a viral illness, practitioners often see patterns such as:

• Residual Wind and Heat obstructing the nasal passages
• Phlegm blocking the sensory orifices
• Lung Qi deficiency
• Spleen Qi deficiency leading to lingering dampness
• Kidney deficiency when recovery has become prolonged

Treatment is tailored to the individual rather than simply treating the symptom of anosmia. Two people with the same loss of smell may therefore receive different acupuncture prescriptions depending upon their overall pattern of imbalance.

Does Acupuncture Hurt?

Most patients are surprised by how gentle acupuncture is.

Very fine, sterile, single-use needles are inserted into carefully selected acupuncture points. Many patients feel only a brief tingling, warmth or dull ache known as De Qi, which practitioners regard as a sign that the point has been activated.

Treatment is generally relaxing, and many people feel calmer afterwards.

Is Acupuncture Safe?

When performed by a properly trained practitioner using sterile disposable needles, acupuncture has an excellent safety record.

Minor bruising or temporary soreness occasionally occur, but serious complications are extremely rare.

Should You Still See Your Doctor?

Absolutely.

Loss of smell should always be properly assessed by your GP or an ENT specialist, particularly if it develops suddenly without an obvious viral illness, follows a head injury, or is associated with other neurological symptoms.

Acupuncture should be viewed as a complementary treatment rather than a replacement for appropriate medical assessment.

Combining Acupuncture with Conventional Care

Many ENT specialists now recommend olfactory training, which involves repeatedly smelling a set of familiar scents over several months to encourage recovery.

Emerging evidence suggests that acupuncture may work particularly well alongside olfactory training rather than instead of it.

A Balanced View

It would be misleading to claim that acupuncture can cure every case of smell loss.

Some patients experience dramatic improvements, while others recover more gradually or notice only modest changes. The outcome depends on many factors, including the cause of the problem, how long it has been present, age, and the extent of damage to the olfactory system.

However, because conventional treatment options remain limited for many forms of post-viral smell loss, acupuncture represents a reasonable option for patients seeking a safe complementary approach.

As research continues to grow, we hope to gain a clearer understanding of which patients are most likely to benefit.

If you have been living with persistent loss of smell after a viral infection, COVID-19 or another illness, acupuncture may be worth considering as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.