NEWS & EVENTS

John Bell & Croyden hosts smell training workshops

NEWS - 19TH JANUARY 2022

The John Bell & Croyden pharmacy joins forces with the AbScent charity to provide free support for people affected by smell loss

AbScent, a charity that helps people affected by smell loss, is joining forces with the John Bell & Croyden pharmacy to run a series of free smell training workshops. More than 4 million people in the UK are currently experiencing a loss of smell and taste. Of these, almost half also experience smell distortions: parosmia, a distorted odour with a known source (for example, onions smell like rotten meat), and phantosmia, a smell sensation without a source (for example, smelling cigarette smoke for no apparent reason at all). 

Chrissi Kelly, the founder of AbScent, said: “Our work with researchers and scientists around the world to better understand the function of the olfactory sense is crucial for the future. But it is the work that we do with people who are suffering with little support and understanding that really encapsulates our values. We know that people struggle to get help.”

John Bell & Croyden

The John Bell & Croyden pharmacy

Smell training, one of the few treatments for small loss that is proven to be effective, is the process of actively sniffing the same four scents every day, spending around 20 seconds on each scent. It is easy, safe and recommended by doctors. The first training sessions at John Bell & Croyden are taking place on 27th January and last for an hour. Additional dates will be scheduled throughout February – check the pharmacy’s website for more details.

James Gray, healthcare services manager at John Bell & Croyden, said: “The first sessions sold-out within 24 hours so we know that there is a real need for support for people experiencing smell loss. We are very happy that we can partner with AbScent to provide this service that will benefit so many people.”