New treatment restores smell without surgery or chemicals

By Stephen Beech

The sense of smell could be restored using radio waves without patients having to go under the knife, according to new research.

The "painless" treatment can be used to help people regain the vital sense - without resorting to surgery or chemicals, say scientists.

Our sense of smell helps us enjoy food, detect danger such as smoke or gas leaks, and even affects memory and emotion.

But many people can suffer a loss of smell, especially after COVID-19 or suffering a brain injury.

However, there are very few effective treatments, and those that exist often use strong scents or medicines that can cause discomfort in patients.

Now, a new study by researchers in South Korea suggests that a "simple and painless" way to improve our sense of smell could be to utilise