{"id":239579,"date":"2021-07-31T05:58:30","date_gmt":"2021-07-31T05:58:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=239579"},"modified":"2021-08-01T07:04:35","modified_gmt":"2021-08-01T07:04:35","slug":"loss-of-smell-and-taste-not-unique-to-covid-infections-its-a-common-symptom-of-all-colds-and-flu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=239579","title":{"rendered":"Loss Of Smell And Taste NOT Unique To COVID Infections \u2014 It\u2019s A Common Symptom Of ALL Colds and Flu"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Introduction \u2013 July 31, 2021<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>Curiously last winter doctors in the UK reported a big <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2021\/jan\/10\/gp-england-drop-common-cold-flu-cases-coronavirus-restrictions\">drop in the number of cold and flu cases<\/a>. Was it a coincidence that this happened simultaneously with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-55475240\">sudden \u201csurge\u201d in Covid cases<\/a> diagnosed?<\/p>\n<p>Or were doctors misdiagnosing common Cold and Flu cases as Covid-19? After all, tens of thousands die annually from seasonal Colds and Flu, most of the deaths occurring among the very old or those with pre-existing condition; the very same who succumb to Covid-19.<\/p>\n<p>These deaths occur every year, to quote from an article that appeared before the current media hysteria over Covid-19:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">The data from the ONS (Office of National Statistics) showed a rise of 28,189 deaths in 2015 (5.6%), from 501,424 in 2014 to 529,613 in 2015. This is the highest number since 2003, when there were 539,151 deaths. The percentage increase in 2015 is the largest year-on-year rise since 1967 to 1968 (6.3%). (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2016\/apr\/07\/number-deaths-england-wales-12-year-high-life-expectancy\">Number of deaths in England and Wales hits 12-year high<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>All of this leads to the question: is Covid-19 really just another variant of seasonal Cold and Flu, like <a href=\"https:\/\/thebiomedicalscientist.net\/resources\/hong-kong-flu\">Hong Kong Flu<\/a>, which killed over 30,000 in the UK in 1968 and over a million worldwide?<\/p>\n<p>After all, we\u2019ve regularly seen pandemics sweep the globe every few years, which have accounted for many thousands of deaths: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/1968-flu-pandemic\">Hong Kong Flu<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/1957-flu-pandemic\">Asian Flu pandemic of 1957<\/a> and so on.<\/p>\n<p>The difference now is the wall-to-wall media fear-mongering and the drive for mass vaccination with what even the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nih.gov\/news-events\/nih-research-matters\/experimental-coronavirus-vaccine-highly-effective\">U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) admits<\/a> are still experimental vaccines.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, the NIH claims that the &#8220;vaccines are highly effective&#8221; but it omits to mention the mounting reports of its adverse effects. All of which leads one to wonder: why the global drive to implement mass vaccination against an ailment that is little worse than seasonal flu with a vaccine that often has an impact worse than Covid-19?\u00a0 Ed.<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Loss Of Smell And Taste NOT Unique To COVID Infections \u2014 It\u2019s A Common Symptom Of ALL Colds and Flu<\/strong><\/h1>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Christians For Truth \u2013 July 29, 2021<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It turns out that hyposmia \u2014 the loss of smell and taste \u2014 allegedly one of the most \u201cunique\u201d identifying symptoms of COVID that the \u201cexperts\u201d have been promoting during the \u201cpandemic\u201d to instill fear in the public \u2014 is not so unique after all \u2014 in fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/health\/article-3448545\/Think-ve-got-good-nose-health-remedies-antibiotics-actually-RUIN-sense-smell.html\">the most common cause of loss of smell and taste is the common cold\/flu<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u2026The perception of different odours is triggered when microscopic particles are breathed in and dissolve in mucous membranes in the nose. Receptor cells in the nose then send signals via the olfactory nerve to receptors in the brain, to an area known as the olfactory bulb. This also sends information to be processed further in other brain areas associated with such things as emotion, memory and learning \u2014 which is why some smells can remind us of certain memories or trigger specific feelings\u2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u2018Our ability to smell is based on a complex process which can easily be disrupted at different stages,\u2019 says Michael Papesch, an ear, nose and throat consultant surgeon at Whipps Cross University Hospital in London. \u2018<strong>If any part of the chain is broken or damaged, then smell is not registered by the brain and all scents would be the same: sniffing a rose would be like sniffing cardboard<\/strong>.\u2019<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">People who have lost their sense of smell completely \u2014 as a result of trauma or <strong>infection damaging olfactory receptors<\/strong> \u2014 can still perceive such strong scents as ammonia or menthol. This is because these stimulate pain or temperature-sensitive nerves in a process known as chemesthesis, where signals bypass the olfactory bulb and are passed directly to the higher centre of the brain to trigger a sensation.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">We may take it for granted, but <strong>a loss of sense of smell (hyposmia if it is partial, anosmia if total) can affect your health<\/strong>. For instance, <strong>our sense of taste is closely connected with smell because the same nerves and parts of the brain are involved in both<\/strong>. So losing our sense of smell can make us add sugar or salt to food to make it \u2018taste\u2019 better, indirectly contributing to such problems as obesity and high blood pressure.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Here are some reasons why your sense of smell could be diminished\u2026<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>GETTING OLD<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\u2018<strong>Our sense of smell declines as we get older probably because the number of olfactory sensors reduces considerably<\/strong>,\u2019 says Martin Rossor, a neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London. This is because cells die faster than they can be replaced. Smell that declines with age is known as presbyosmia and is not preventable. However, <strong>catching a cold can make things worse so make sure you wash hands frequently and avoid people who are infected<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>TAKING MEDICINE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>Antibiotics may interfere with the sense of smell, as can some antidepressants, anti-inflammatories and heart medications<\/strong>. \u2018Quite a few common medicines can interfere with your sense of smell, possibly by directly affecting sensory receptors in the nose,\u2019 says Dr Colin Cable, assistant chief scientist at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. \u2018The effect usually wears off soon after stopping the medication. Generally, an alternative medicine can be found.\u2019 Antibiotics that can cause smell loss include ampicillin, used to treat urinary tract infections and types of meningitis, and azithromycin, used to treat some ear infections as well as pneumonia.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>Antidepressants linked to loss of smell include doxepin and amitriptyline<\/strong> (also used to treat chronic pain caused by nerve damage). Some ACE inhibitors for high blood pressure, including captopril, can alter smell, as can angina drug glyceryl trinitrate. <strong>Statins [for high cholesterol], the most commonly prescribed medications in the UK, may interfere with taste and smell<\/strong>. There are a number of ways these medications affect smell, including blocking nerve pathways and altering the mucous layers of the mouth so odour molecules can\u2019t dissolve easily in mucous membranes surrounding the olfactory cells.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>NASAL GROWTHS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Nasal polyps are soft, non-cancerous growths in the nasal passages, usually affecting adults with chronic inflammation in the nose. <strong>This can be through chronic sinusitis or other respiratory conditions (between 20 and 40 per cent of people with nasal polyps also have asthma<\/strong>, according to the NHS). They are thought to form when the lining of the nose becomes increasingly swollen, eventually hanging down in teardrop shapes. They affect up to 4 per cent of the population and are twice as common in men as in women. \u2018They\u2019re common and many cause no symptoms,\u2019 says Mr Papesch. \u2018<strong>Polyps cause obstruction which prevents odour molecules entering<\/strong>\u2026.\u2019<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>HAVING A VIRUS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>Colds and flu are the most common causes of hyposmia because upper respiratory infections block the passage of odour molecules. \u2018Rarely, a viral infection can permanently damage the olfactory nerves so that smells cannot be processed in the brain<\/strong>,\u2019 says Professor Rossor. <strong>A blocked nose mutes smells and makes food taste bland<\/strong>. Tastebuds can detect only sweet, sour, bitter, salt and umami (savoury); all other \u2018tastes\u2019 are combinations or variations of these and are interpreted by the nose\u2019s olfactory cells\u2026.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>IS IT DEPRESSION?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>Many people who are depressed report finding it difficult to distinguish odours<\/strong>. When they are treated successfully, their sense of smell improves. A 2014 study of brain scans, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, found depressed women showed reduced activation in areas of the brain associated with smell. One theory is that depression is accompanied by changes to the limbic network of the brain that underpins emotions, long-term memory and sense of smell.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>DEMENTIA LINK<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>Alzheimer\u2019s can reduce ability to smell. This is due to amyloid plaques (tangles of proteins) which kill brain cells, causing memory loss and impaired speech and cognition<\/strong>. They can also damage brain cells which pass signals from the olfactory bulb, says Dr Ian Le Guillou, of the Alzheimer\u2019s Society\u2019s research and development team\u2026.As a great deal of research shows that Alzheimer\u2019s-related brain shrinkage starts on the left side of the brain, this could be a <strong>significant marker for the disease to aid early diagnosis<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>CANCER DRUGS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><strong>Chemotherapy often causes partial or complete loss of smell<\/strong>, says Dr Marina Parton, a consultant oncologist at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. \u2018I treat lots of <strong>women with breast cancer and many tell me their senses of taste and smell are greatly reduced<\/strong>. They tend to prefer sharp and sweet or sour flavours.\u2019 It is thought the drugs damage the mouth\u2019s mucous layers\u2026.Dr Parton says most people should regain their senses of smell and taste three to six months after treatment has stopped.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/elifesciences.org\/articles\/58227\">Many studies<\/a> have claimed that loss of smell and taste is the \u201csingle-best predictor\u201d for diagnosing COVID \u2014 and even the <a href=\"https:\/\/hms.harvard.edu\/news\/how-covid-19-causes-loss-smell\">elites at Harvard<\/a> make this claim \u2014 and this false \u201cproof\u201d of COVID has been dutifully repeated as \u201ctruth\u201d in every media outlet around the world.<\/p>\n<p>What they don\u2019t tell you is that the loss of smell and taste is the \u201csingle-best predictor\u201d of a common cold or flu.<\/p>\n<p>Since \u201cCOVID\u201d is allegedly similar to the seasonal flu, it would be unusual if patients did <strong><em>not<\/em><\/strong> experience some sort of loss of smell and taste.<\/p>\n<p>And given the vast majority of COVID patients are elderly, many of them have many of the conditions \u2014 such as cancer, pneumonia, depression, and dementia \u2014 that also contribute to the loss of smell and taste.<\/p>\n<p>Also, there can be no doubt that a large percentage of people hospitalized for COVID were treated with antibiotics \u2014 which cause the loss of smell and taste \u2014 making a bad symptom worse.<\/p>\n<p>But some will point out that the loss of taste and smell for some COVID patients has been permanent \u2014 again, this is not unique to COVID \u2014 and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.odotech.com\/en\/3-common-problems-sense-smell\/\">has been observed in many post-viral patients<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>So the next time someone tries to tell you that their sister experienced the loss of smell and taste is \u201cproof\u201d that she had COVID and not just the regular flu, you will now know be able to disappoint them that their sister probably had nothing more than the common cold.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/christiansfortruth.com\/loss-of-smell-and-taste-not-unique-to-covid-infections-its-a-common-symptom-of-all-colds-and-flu\/\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is Covid-19 just another seasonal variant of common Cold and Flu? Re-branded and renamed so the pharmaceutical giants can deliver a vaccine to &#8220;protect&#8221; us? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39262,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[105],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-239579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-coronavirus"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/39262"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=239579"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239579\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":239611,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239579\/revisions\/239611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=239579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=239579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=239579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}