Could a TikTok health hack help you get your taste back after having COVID-19? The Doctors weigh in!
A viral trend claims eating a charred orange (that is peeled, mashed, and mixed with brown sugar and then eaten while hot) will help people who lost their taste and smell as a result of the virus.
Ear nose and throat specialist Dr. Andrew Ordon explains the TikTok trick may help to stimulate both your sense of smell and taste simultaneously and the combination of the citrus and sugar could lead to a "reboot or reprogramming" of your senses. He says this treatment has the potential to make someone's taste and smell come back quicker.
Dr. Ordon also notes that having your senses affected by a virus is "not unusual" and often happens after dealing with the flu or the common cold. He says someone's sense of taste and smell should come back eventually after they have recovered from the virus.
The Doctors also note a placebo effect could be occurring, where if someone believes they are doing something to improve their health -- whether or not it truly works -- they might still feel as though it benefits their sense of smell or taste.
As always, if you believe you have COVID or have been exposed, get tested, isolate yourself from others and speak to your medical care provider.
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