Anosmia Awareness Day 2021!

Anosmia Awareness Day takes place on February 27th. On this day, we acknowledge the impact smell disorders have, and raise awareness for the patients that suffer from smell and taste dysfunctioning.

In the past year, anosmia has impacted the lives of more people than ever before, since disorders of smell and taste are among the most defining symptoms of COVID-19. But on this day, we also did not forget the patients that suffer from congenital anosmia, hyposmia, parosmia or anosmia following head and neck trauma, other viral infections, or the many other causes that may result in a loss or alteration of smell and/or taste.

The Dutch patient association Reuksmaakstoornis released their latest edition of their magazine, with specific attention towards the impact of COVID-19. You can read it, in Dutch, here: https://issuu.com/anosmievereniging/docs/__achter_glas__3_issuu

To illustrate at least some of the impact of covid19 related anosmia, here are some quotes from the patients’ stories:

Be careful with your sense of smell and taste (Edwin van der Wallen, p. 7)

Eating has become a necessary evil (Cathinka Hazebroek, p. 31)

Not being able to smell myself makes me insecure (Wesley Scheurwater, p. 24)

It doesn’t get enough attention (Saskia Baas, p. 14)

At night I was standing outside, trying to smell springtime (David Hendriks, p. 18)

I’m afraid nothing will come back anymore (Antoinette Knevel, p. 11)

Of course we as NOSE support their campaign, that they launched Saturday the 27th, Anosmia Awareness Day, with the hashtag #IkRuikOokNiets or in English #IAlsoCantSmell!