Since the early days of COVID-19, the loss of ophthalth has been an indicative symptom of the disease. Many people have never eventually regained their ability to smell. Now a Hospital in Lovaina, Belgium, proposes a solution: to use the patient’s own blood to repair damaged tissues.
Livina Van Esser can’t smell her perfume four years ago. You don’t know if your room is fresh or if she herself has a pleasant odor when she leaves home. Forest rides, which were once a source of pleasure by natural aromas, lost meaning. Like thousands of people around the world, it lost its smell due to .
The loss of smell goes far beyond the inability to smell. For Livina, the consequences extend to social life and the pleasure of eating.
“We used to go out to dinner regularly. Now we barely do it. Everyone sits at the table and says ‘this knows well.’ Everyone chooses something from the menu. And for me it’s just a guess, because I can’t taste it anyway.”
After many doctors and exams, Livina believes she can smell again and enjoy food.
How does the treatment work?
The procedure is based on the regenerative capacity of blood plasma. First, doctors collect the patient’s blood and separate the plasma from the red blood cells. This plasma contains natural substances capable of repairing damaged tissues in the body. Julie Van Waterschoot, specialist in otorhinolaryngology at the University Hospital of Lovaina, is responsible for this technique.
“The beauty of this treatment is that we really use the patient’s own blood. Essentially there is no foreign material, only what comes from the patient himself can be used to repair something.”
The plasma is then injected near the olfactory nerve, in the hope that it naturally recovers. The treatment requires three visits to the hospital, followed by a waiting period of three months to evaluate the results.
This technique represents a light at the bottom of the tunnel for the hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their smell due to COVID-19. Many of these cases, considered initially temporary, have become persistent, dramatically affecting the quality of life.
Treatment is not yet reimbursed by health insurance and costs about 220 euros. For those who have lived for years unable to feel smells or palates, investment can represent the return to a normal life.
Livina Van Esser will hope that after treatment, she may finally return to restaurants and enjoy the small pleasures that the smell provides.
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