Smell loss after a cold, flu, or COVID

Common symptoms

• Your sense of smell is weak or gone, in both sides of your nose
• It started suddenly, during a cold, the flu, or COVID, or right after
• Food seems bland, because flavor depends on smell
• Some smells seem wrong, like burnt or rotten, while your smell comes back

May fit online care

• Adults 18 and older
• You are 18 or older
• Your smell is weaker or gone in both sides of your nose, and it started suddenly during or right after a cold, flu, COVID, or a similar infection
• It has been weak or gone for 4 weeks up to 12 months
• You have none of the warning signs below
• You know that we do not look inside your nose, test your smell, order tests, or send a prescription, and that an ENT visit is the next step if training does not help in 12 weeks

Look for another care setting

• A drooping face, or weakness or numbness in your face, arm, or leg (call 911 or go to the ER now).
• Trouble speaking or understanding speech (call 911 or go to the ER now).
• Sudden confusion (call 911 or go to the ER now).
• Sudden loss of vision, or double vision (call 911 or go to the ER now).
• A sudden, very bad headache that is new for you (call 911 or go to the ER now).
• A seizure, or passing out (call 911 or go to the ER now).
• A severe headache with a stiff neck (call 911 or go to the ER now).
• After a hit to your head in the last 3 months: vomiting more than once, becoming very sleepy, confusion or acting in a strange way, a headache that is severe or getting worse, a stiff neck, or one pupil (the dark center of the eye) bigger than the other (call 911 or go to the ER now).
• Short spells of a strange smell with staring or confusion that are happening now (call 911 or go to the ER now).
• A heavy nosebleed, or a nosebleed that will not stop after 15 to 20 minutes of firm pressure (call 911 or go to the ER now).
• Swelling or redness around an eye, an eye that looks pushed forward, trouble moving an eye, double vision, worse vision, or swelling of your forehead or face (call 911 or go to the ER now).
• A weak immune system, and also black or dark crusts in your nose, new pain, numbness, or swelling in your nose or face, or a fever (call 911 or go to the ER now).
• Call 911 or go to the ER now if you have, or had in the last 2 days, any of the first eight signs above, even if they went away. Signs of a head injury can start over several hours or days.
• Call 911 or go to the ER now while you follow the plan if you get hives, wheezing, trouble breathing, or swelling of your lips, tongue, or face after you sniff an oil or spice.
• Call 911 or go to the ER now while you follow the plan if a smoke alarm or gas detector goes off. Get out of your home first. Then call 911.
• If you think about ending your life, call or text 988 now.
• Clear, watery fluid drips from only one side of your nose (go to the ER today).
• You have had short spells of a strange smell with staring or confusion, even if they stopped (go to the ER today).
• You hit your head in the last 3 days. Signs of a head injury can start over several hours or days after a hit (go to the ER or urgent care today).
• You have blood in your mucus, many nosebleeds, or any heavy nosebleed in the last 2 weeks that has stopped (see a doctor in person within 7 days, an ENT doctor is the best choice).
• Your smell is weaker or gone on only one side of your nose (see a doctor in person within 14 days, an ENT doctor is the best choice).
• Your nose is blocked on only one side (see a doctor in person within 14 days, an ENT doctor is the best choice).
• You have a bad smell or crusts inside your nose (see a doctor in person within 14 days, an ENT doctor is the best choice).
• You can see a lump or growth in your nose (see a doctor in person within 14 days, an ENT doctor is the best choice).
• You have a lump in your neck (see a doctor in person within 14 days, an ENT doctor is the best choice).
• You have numbness or swelling of your cheek, or loose teeth (see a doctor in person within 14 days, an ENT doctor is the best choice).
• You had a head injury in the 3 months before your smell changed, or since (see a doctor in person within 14 days, an ENT doctor is the best choice).
• You have had a blocked nose, runny nose, face pain or pressure, or thick colored mucus for 12 weeks or more (see a doctor in person within 14 days, an ENT doctor is the best choice).
• Your smell loss started slowly and keeps getting worse (see your own doctor).
• Your smell has been getting worse over the last few weeks (see your own doctor).
• There was no infection before your smell loss, or you are not sure (see your own doctor).
• A doctor or other clinician told you it comes from something else (see your own doctor).
• You have new memory problems or a tremor (see your own doctor).
• You had radiation or chemotherapy for cancer, surgery on your nose or sinuses, a new medicine just before your smell changed, or work with chemicals, solvents, or fumes (see your own doctor).
• You have a weak immune system, from a transplant, chemotherapy, a low white blood cell count, HIV, poorly controlled diabetes, or a medicine that weakens the immune system (see your own doctor).
• You snort cocaine or other drugs (see your own doctor).
• Your smell has been weaker or gone for more than 12 months (see your own doctor).
• You did smell training for 12 weeks or more and it did not help (see your own doctor).
• Your smell seems normal, but some smells seem wrong or you smell things that are not there (see your own doctor).
• You are under 18 (see your own doctor).
• You have sinus symptoms now (face pain or pressure, thick colored mucus, or a fever) that started less than 12 weeks ago, and either they got better and then worse again, or they have lasted 10 days or more without getting better (use our sinus infection visit). Then come back to this visit when it clears.
• You have a cold or the flu now, or sinus symptoms (face pain or pressure, thick colored mucus, or a fever) for less than 10 days that have not got better and then worse again (use our Cold, flu, or sinus visit). Then come back to this visit when it clears.
• Your smell has been weaker or gone for less than 4 weeks. After COVID, smell usually comes back in the first few weeks. After other infections, it can take longer (start smell training on your own, and come back to this visit at 4 weeks).
• If more than one fits, follow the first one.