When you think of the loss of smell, you think about the effects of COVID-19. And you will think that you will get the sense of smell back at some point after you recover from the virus. However, before the pandemic, there were other reasons for the sudden loss of smell, and that applies even now.
However, here is the thing. Researchers are looking into whether or not COVID-19-related loss of smell can have an association with cognitive decline. And it will take some time before a conclusive result is found regarding that. Studies have shown that about five percent of those who had covid, which is about 27 million people, have said they have lost a sense of smell for longer than six months.
There Could Be A Link Between COVID-19-Related Loss of Smell And Alzheimer’s
And researchers are starting to see a potential link between COVID-19-related loss of sense of smell and the onset of Alzheimer’s, or markers of it. However, once again, that is not conclusive, and a lot more studies need to be conducted to indicate that. Some research has indicated that some COVID-19 patients develop cognitive impairment after they end up with the virus. It still has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal, meaning more studies on this need to be done. However, in Argentina, they have been doing research on this factor.
And they are starting to see that there is a possibility that COVID-19 might be a strong predictor of cognitive impairment, even if the illness is mild. And it was found through their data that adults 60 and over are a lot more vulnerable to cognitive decline after having the illness, regardless of how severe it was for them. However, is it permanent? It is too soon to determine that at this point.
There Was No Data On the Cognitive State Of Patients Before Contracting COVID-19
The researchers found that two-thirds of those who had the infection had some type of cognitive decline by the end of 2021. And half of the participants for the researchers had a severe form of the disease. However, it is not known whether or not these participants had any cognitive decline before contracting the illness.
Even the participants who had families who the researchers had asked about their cognitive function before contracting the virus did not get a clear answer. Therefore, there is no hard data on this, making the study even more inconclusive.
Old Studies Of Loss Of Smell And Dementia Risk Did Not Include Data From COVID-19
There have been many old studies regarding loss of smell and risk for dementia before the pandemic. And a psychology professor at the University of Stockholm said the studies on loss of smell linking to dementia did not include the research on the loss of smell related to COVID-19 being linked to dementia.
There is a lot more work that needs to be done on this because it now involves a lot of new research on the loss of smell and dementia link. However, if you have had COVID-19, which chances are at this point of the pandemic you have, that does not mean you will end up with dementia – especially if you are under 60 years old.
If you are concerned about this situation, you can always ensure that you keep your brain as stimulated as possible.
That means you will want to spend a lot of time reading, even doing brain exercises such as word searches and crossword puzzles. Do trivia games. Anything that can keep your brain stimulated. Once again, more research needs to be conducted to find conclusive evidence regarding the link between loss of smell from COVID-19 and Alzheimer’s.
