Covid Smell/ Taste Dysfunction

Continuing down the COVID road of smell and taste dysfunction, I noted in my last post my use of the “Smell Identification Test” by Sensonics considered as the Gold Standard for quantification of smell dysfunction which allows a valid whole person impairment rating pre–AMA Guides 5th Edition (11.4c). It establishes the meaning of a given individual’s test score by comparing the test score to scores from normal persons of equivalent age and gender utilizing tables provided in their manual.

However, for those who want to perform a quick check after recovering from COVID with a smell/taste issue, I ran across the “Jellybean Test” which you can do at home to test to see if you’re suffering a loss of smell. “You take a jellybean in one hand, and with the other hand you hold your nose tightly so you’re not getting any airflow,” said Steven Munger, Director of the Center for Smell and Taste at the University of Florida.

“You put the jellybean in your mouth and chew it. Let’s say it is a fruit flavor jellybean: if you get the savory plus the sweetness of the jellybean you’ll know you have functional taste,” Munger said.

Then while still chewing, suddenly release your nose. If you have a sense of smell, you’ll suddenly get all the odors and you’ll say ‘Oh! That’s a lemon jellybean,’ or ‘Oh! That’s cherry.’ It’s really a very dramatic, quick, ‘Wow’ type of response,” he explained.

“So if you can go from sweet and sour to the full flavor and know what the flavor is,” Munger said, “Then your sense of smell is probably in good shape.”

Enjoy!

(Ref: www.cnn.com/2020/04/03/health/smell-taste-test-coronavirus)