He probably doesn’t know how. But it’s an interesting point. I never thought about it before, but the event I went through had a similar link between taste and smell, and in hindsight I now don’t get why.

In college I made a bet with a friend that I could hold dominos wings hot sauce in my mouth for 10 minutes. At the time, the wings from dominos were actually very spicy. It was painfu, I spent about 30 minutes washing my mouth out after that. I lost my sense of taste AND smell for an entire year.

Why did I lose my sense of smell and not just my taste? Any docs here to explain?

It feels like damage like that is (speculation from reading about covid effects and causes) often neurological.

Maybe the intense overload of the pain receptors triggered some immune reaction that damaged nerves as collateral damage?

Interesting… I now (nearly 30 years later) have a condition that is considered a vestibular/neurological condition called mal de Debarquement. I also believe I suffer from vestibular migraines, but that is not diagnosed yet (seeing a specialist next week). I doubt that dominos hot sauce was the cause, but maybe I am susceptible to such things? I never thought to link these two things before.

In the name of science, go ahead and stuff some diced chilis in your nose and report back.

why on earth do you eat with your nose? don't do that! even for science, really just don't.

I don't either. in the name of science.

You can probably already find that on TikTok.