Regaining Your Sense of Taste & Smell After COVID-19

Regaining Your Sense of Taste & Smell After COVID-19 By David R. Charnock, MD FACS, Clinical Director of ENT & Audiology at Rutland Regional Medical Center

Viruses can cause loss of taste and smell but the SARS-CoV-2 virus, or COVID infection has brought a new awareness about this. We all have experienced a stuffy nose when congestion blocks the air molecules from traveling through our nose so we can smell something. Smell is created when the scent reaches delicate nerve receptors located high up in our nose. Taste, on the other hand, is experienced because of chemical sensors in the taste buds on our tongue and mouth.

The sense of smell, or olfaction, is important for a variety of reasons. Consider the ability to detect health hazards like fire or toxic fumes and smoke! Also consider the affect it has on our ability to sim- ply enjoy the flavor of food which is the combination of smell and taste. Fortunately, most patients with COVID-19 recover their sense of smell when congestion resolves however some do not.

So, what do you do if you notice difficulty with your ability to taste or smell? Consider gently and safely clearing out your nasal passages using normal saline nasal spray or a Nettie pot. These will help clear virus and bacteria along with heavy mucus and offer some natural decongestant effect.

If you still can’t smell, you may have issues with the nerve receptors for smell. Some viruses can damage these receptors. If this happens there are smell-retraining techniques that may help restore one’s sense of smell.

Smell-retraining techniques help the brain create new connections or pathways around the damaged nerve area. The technique helps to re-orient the brain and interpret the odor molecules from the nose. Our brain must distinguish between a vast array of smells within a single scent and in the process may trigger the patient’s own past memories of how something should smell.

A variety of scents are used in smell-retraining such as rose oil, lemon, orange peel, peanut butter, laven- der and the like. A list of items that the patient is familiar with are used so that they “know” what they are smelling, not guessing. The retraining takes time, but the time is well worth it for the patients who successfully regain their ability to smell.

Since there are many different reasons for smell and taste loss, we encourage you to visit an ENT specialist for a smell and taste analysis with a thorough examination involving your nasal passages and mouth. The examination results will help the specialist create a patient-specific plan of action.

For COVID-19 patients there is one final note: approximately 90% of COVID-19 patients experience improvement in their ability to smell about four weeks after the initial diagnosis. So, there is hope!