Smell and taste loss conference in Norwich to help clinicians

UEA student Kirstie Goodchild will be speaking about her experience of losing her taste and smell at a two-day conference

A woman who wanted to shower "all the time" after losing her sense of smell is due to speak at a conference at her university about her experience.

Kirstie Goodchild, and her sister Laura, struggled with anosmia (smell loss) and parosmia (smell distortion) in 2020 following a Covid-19 infection.

The two-day conference at the University of East Anglia (UEA) is organised by charity Fifth Sense.

Kirstie, 23, said she first thought her "sweat was smelling rotten".

"That was very distressing for me because I could consistently smell it even though nobody else could, which meant I felt the need to shower all the time," said the occupational therapy student.

Kirstie (left) and Laura Goodchild have both recovered their sense of smell and taste

Both sisters were in their final year of university and A-level exams at the time.

"That just meant that we were very stressed and anxious," said Kirstie.

"It had an impact on our actual diet. We definitely weren't getting proper nutrition, particularly because a lot of the food that was distorted was healthy foods, fruit, vegetables and meat.

"And then that dietary effect snowballs onto your mental and physical health and your ability to concentrate."

Laura Goodchild said she and her sister also developed parosmia after getting Covid, "where food would taste absolutely awful"

Laura, aged 20, said: "I was eating food but was not getting any pleasure from it.

"I could not smell anything or taste anything."

Both sisters' senses returned to normal by summer 2021.

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Fifth Sense, a UK charity supporting people affected by smell and taste disorders, says there are significant numbers experiencing the conditions because of Long Covid and other factors.

Prof Carl Philpott, of Rhinology & Olfactology at UEA's medical school, hopes the conference will help other medical professionals

Prof Carl Philpott, of Rhinology & Olfactology at UEA's medical school, said he hoped the conference - starting on Thursday - would increase knowledge and skills among medical professionals.

"Our work through Fifth Sense has demonstrated the difficulties patients face in getting access to clinicians who can help manage their disorders, so educating clinicians can help with this," he said.