Olfaction Treatment in India

Reyansh Johnson, a 42-year-old executive chef,...

Reyansh Johnson, a 42-year-old executive chef, built his career on his exceptional palate. Over the past year, he noticed a gradual fading of his sense of smell, making it impossible to properly season dishes or detect subtle aromas. He became anxious and depressed, fearing the loss of his identity and livelihood. His ENT doctor, after ruling out sinus issues, recommended an olfaction test to objectively measure his olfactory function. The procedure involved sniffing a series of scratch-and-sniff cards with familiar odors like coffee and lemon, which Reyansh found simple but emotionally taxing as he struggled to identify scents he once knew intimately. The results confirmed moderate hyposmia (reduced smell). While there was no quick fix, the diagnosis provided clarity. Reyansh began olfactory training with essential oils and adjusted his role in the kitchen to focus more on management and visual presentation. Emotionally, he moved from despair to determined adaptation, finding new ways to engage with his profession and appreciating the flavors he could still perceive.