Our Fundraising Manager, Angela, explains in detail how funding research will improve your quality of life and help us to ultimately end smell loss.

If you have a smell disorder, you probably have a lot of questions about the cause of your condition and what you can do to recover.  

We want to help you find answers and have a better quality of life. We know that the best way to do that is by funding research and by making that research available to everyone. And that’s why we’re fundraising.

What research are we doing?

At the moment, we’re particularly excited about two pieces of research. 

The first is research on the impact of parosmia on quality of life. This has been compiled from experiences shared in our Facebook groups and leads the way in highlighting the serious nature of this condition.

The second is a research project into parosmia that aims to develop a test for parosmia. In health sciences, something needs to be measured before it can be fixed and this is the first important step in a long journey towards treatment.

Thanks to the support of our AbScent community, this year we have also been able to sponsor a £10,000 research project. This research aims to find out if capsaicin is a healthy way for people with smell loss to increase their enjoyment of food. 

There is still much that science has yet to learn about smell disorders that could lead to new breakthroughs in our understanding and the treatments available. 

With the help of our supporters, we’ll continue funding and conducting new, pioneering research that could help give people with smell disorders a better quality of life. 

Helping clinicians to help you

Clinicians only update the advice and care they give to patients if they have read peer reviewed research.  But how can we make sure doctors are aware of the latest research about smell disorders?

One way we’re approaching this is by speaking at medical conferences. Over the last year we have been guest speakers at several conferences, including the European Rhinological Society conference held last month. 

Speaking at conferences allows us to reach larger numbers of clinicians to make them aware of the latest research and the presence of our AbScent community. 

Another way that we are helping is by making sure that our research papers are accessible and not hidden behind paywalls. 

It costs between £2,000 and £6,000 to make our research papers open access. It’s worth the investment if new research reaches larger numbers of clinicians who can then update the advice they give to their patients.  

You need to know what’s happening too!

The first thing you need to do after you find AbScent is to learn as much as you can about your disorder. That way you can learn tips that could help you recover – or at least make your life a little easier. 

We know that most of you are interested in new developments in science. We also know that most people aren’t scientists. That’s why we will do our best to translate complicated information into plain English so that everyone can understand it. 

Donations help us to create videos, write blogs and host webinars that explain science in ways that can be used in daily life.  

Every little bit of support makes a difference

We are a small charity. Donations from kind supporters and sales from our online shop fund 100% of the work that we do. We are very grateful to everyone who has donated to our work or bought an item through our shop – you’re making our work possible! 

We’re also grateful to have the support of so many volunteers who give their time and expertise to help with our research projects and to bring new ideas to life. 

Our volunteers are superstars who are doing a wonderful job! What’s more, they’re helping us to run efficiently. We can guarantee that every donation we receive will have the maximum impact. 

So, why is AbScent fundraising?

We’re fundraising to make new research possible and to make information available to everyone. Together, we will end smell disorders!

Would you like to support us? Donate here.
 

October 21, 2021