Smell Intensity During Pregnancy
Introduction:
Do you understand what is cooked before entering the kitchen? Does
the smell of fish make your stomach twist?
Many
women's sense of smell becomes more acute after pregnancy. Smells that may not have been understood
or noticed before, also come to the nose.
In medical
terms this is called 'hyperosmia'.
Pregnancy
causes various changes in the body and causes various symptoms. A stronger
sense of smell is also one such symptom.
When
does the sense of smell begin to intensify during pregnancy?
In
most cases, women notice an increase in the sense of smell during early
pregnancy.You
may notice a heightened sense of smell as well as sometimes smelling strange
smells. And sometimes the nose may smell without any source.
These changes in the sense of smell diminish greatly in the later weeks of pregnancy.And it almost completely disappears after childbirth.
Your
sense of smell may also change during pregnancy as your sense of smell becomes
more acute. The inside of the mouth may feel sour or bitter. Again,
no food tastes good—maybe.
Also,
there may be a correlation between increased nausea and increased sense of
smell during pregnancy. Pregnancy-induced
nausea and the sense of smell in expectant mothers both occur in the early
weeks of pregnancy.
What causes the intensity of smell?
The normal smell of various things during pregnancy can also be strong for mothers. Although there is no strong evidence that women's sense of smell literally becomes stronger during pregnancy, many people feel that their sense of smell is stronger than before.
No
clear reason has yet been found behind such changes in the sense of smell. However,
pregnancy hormones can cause such changes. [10] Hormones
can increase the intensity of your sense of smell. And certain
smells—which may not have caught your nose before—may be easier to pick up now.
Home Remedies For Smell Intensity
Even
the smell of foods or things that were never a problem before pregnancy can
trigger nausea again during pregnancy. So take note of what kind of smell
you have problem with. Then try to avoid them as much as possible.
Here
are some simple and home remedies to combat the strong sense of smell –
1. Keep perfumes close at hand
Try to keep things around that smell that you like. Studies have shown that the aroma of lemon peel or the smell of ginger helps reduce nausea.
Some
people find that the smell of mint leaves or cinnamon relieves nausea. So
you can try with these.
2. Keeping something in hand to
divert attention
Distracting
yourself from the smell can reduce the discomfort. You can chew gum or
suck lozenges to distract yourself. Try to think about something else. You
can think of any song or poem of your choice.
Apart
from this, you can keep yourself busy with any small work. Maybe a shelf
in the closet hasn't been tidied for a long time, or books are scattered on the
table. You can try to arrange them little by little.
3. Leave the fan on and open
the window
Air
circulation where you are can reduce the intensity of the scent. So if you
start to feel uncomfortable with the smell of something, leave the fan. Open
the windows to let the smell out of the room.
4. Changing soaps, shampoos and
perfumes
Many
women find that certain soaps, shampoos, perfumes, and even toothpastes smell
bad during pregnancy. Avoid things that cause problems. Alternatively,
use a product that doesn't bother you with the scent. There are soaps,
shampoos and deodorants available in the market that are fragrance free. You
can also use them.
5. Caution during cooking
Food
is one of the things that pregnant women have more problems with smell. [13]
Note
which foods smell bad to you during pregnancy. Avoid cooking and eating
them.
But
be careful about one thing—don't restrict yourself to a few foods because of
picky eating. This can lead to lack of essential nutrients. So try to
eat balanced and varied food even if you have smell problem.
Apart
from this, you can use fan (electric fan) by keeping the window open while
cooking, so that the smell of the food is quickly removed from the room through
air circulation. These tips are effective in solving smell sensitivities
as well as preventing nausea during pregnancy.
6. Avoid hot food
Hot
food is usually more fragrant. So
instead of eating hot food, you can cool it for a while and eat it when it
comes to normal temperature. It may smell less.
7. Taking help from close people
People
around you may not even notice the smell that bothers you. Talk to them
about it. Then they can help you if needed.
For
example, if the smell of dirt bothers you, they can take over the garbage
disposal. Or if they use a fragrance that bothers you, they might change
it if you let them know. You can ask family members to empty the container
where household waste is stored.
8. Keeping clothes clean
If
the clothes are dirty, the smell from them can cause discomfort. If so, wear clean clothes. You
can take someone's help to wash clothes regularly.
9. Mask use
If
you need to go to a smelly place, you can use a mask. It may smell a
little less.
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