You probably don’t give a lot of thought to your olfactory senses day to day, but imagine suddenly losing your ability to taste and enjoy your food. To no longer be able to smell freshly cut grass, delicious cookies baking, or taste fresh blueberries. Smell and taste are senses we take for granted– until they’re gone. I’ve been through this devastating loss and was successfully able to overcome it.
I have spent hours researching how to overcome anosmia (the inability to taste or smell anything) and hyposmia (partial loss of taste and smell). There are few studies and no real cure. But I found a way to help my body heal after suffering from post-viral hyposmia for months. Now I want to share my experience with hyposmia and anosmia in hopes that it will help anyone out there looking to overcome these conditions.
Hyposmia: My Story
Spring 2017 was a very stressful time for me. My mother had just died, and I found myself back and forth between California and Arizona taking care of her and then her estate. I was admittedly not taking very good care of myself at this time and came down with a bad cold (which I’m usually able to ward off with herbs and self care).The cold hit me pretty hard, and with my clogged sinuses I soon lost my ability to taste or smell anything, as sometimes happens when one gets a cold. I tried to push through it, but after a week I felt really bad and stayed in bed a few days. The cold lingered, and I slowly recovered, but I never recovered my sense of smell and taste. I waited patiently until about two weeks had passed and I realized I still couldn’t taste or smell anything– at all.
I contacted my naturopath, who assured me my senses would return. After a few more days, I was catching whiffs of things here and there, but I still couldn’t taste anything. After about a month of no improvement, I went to see an otolaryngologist. There I learned I had postviral hyposmia, the partial loss of taste or smell, caused by an upper respiratory infection where the virus had attacked and killed the olfactory nerves in my nose (who knew they were so delicate?). There was nothing else wrong, no nasal polyps or any other abnormalities. I was told these senses would likely return, probably not 100 percent, and maybe not at all. Damaged olfactory nerve cells can regenerate, but they don’t always reconnect properly in the brain.
I was devastated but optimistic and immediately poured myself into research. I had never heard of this condition and didn’t even know it could happen. Turns out there isn’t much out there on anosmia or hyposmia and even less about how to treat it. There isn’t a cure. There have been very few studies on the prognosis of postviral olfactory dysfunction.
It may be underreported, but it’s thought that olfactory impairment affects approximately one-fifth of the general population, with the highest prevalence observed in older men, especially in individuals who suffer from degenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease (hyposmia and anosmia, when not viral in nature, are actually a harbinger of Alzheimer’s and dementia). Frighteningly enough, olfactory dysfunction predicts a 5 year mortality rate in older adults (source).
Apart from degenerative diseases, the most common causes of olfaction loss are postviral upper respiratory infection (URI), which is what I had; nasal/sinus disease; head trauma/injury, which cuts or damages the olfactory nerve; brain tumors; exposure to toxins/drugs; some meds; and congenital anosmia. Postviral URI is probably the most common cause of olfactory dysfunction observed in ear, nose, and throat clinics (source).
I read story after story online about people who, like me, were totally fine until they got a cold that completely wiped out their ability to taste or smell. Most people, also like me, had no idea this could even happen. Medications such as steroids and antihistamines may be used to calm the inflammation, but nothing was a sure thing. The prognosis is grim: Full recovery rate is 31.7%, but 80 percent of people achieve some recovery within a year (source).
I learned quickly that hyposmia is a safety issue. I had lost the ability to determine if food was fresh by smelling it. I wasn’t able to smell gas that could signal a gas leak. When the dog got sprayed by a skunk, I had no idea until family alerted me that my house and dog reeked of skunk.
What followed was depression, not uncommon in hyposmia sufferers. I was no longer interested in food, nor did I want to cook for people, one of my main joys in life, since I couldn’t taste to correct flavors and seasonings. I spent a lot of time in bed.
Meantime, I also poured over as much info as I could on how to help my body heal. Could olfactory nerves regenerate? Yes, there is evidence they do. With that logic, I researched herbs and supplements to support nerve health and regrowth. I came across a couple studies weakly identifying gingko and alpha lipoic acid as supplements to help hyposmia. I was also doing a lot of immune support.
How I Beat Hyposmia
It took me about four months to regain 90 percent of my ability to taste and smell. The supplements definitely helped (I saw noticeable improvement quickly after starting the protocol), but many people spontaneously recover their senses within six months to a year.
Here’s what I did:
Note: do this protocol for 3-5 months, then reassess. Most herbs are not meant for longterm use and will stop working after a few months.
- Took ginkgo biloba, 3 of these capsules daily. Studies show it helps.
- Took 600-900mg of alpha lipoic acid. Again, studies show it helps, probably because of its antioxidant and nerve regenerative properties.
- Took 60mg of zinc. This is an interesting one. Zinc deficiency correlates with loss of taste, so that’s a no brainer. I thought there was no way I could be deficient in zinc because I take 30 mg daily as part of a multi. But my naturopath told me a severe cold really wipes out your zinc stores. I think the zinc made the biggest difference.
- Added black seed oil because it’s pretty much a cure-all, and I wanted a potent anti-inflammatory.
- Took 1 gram of lion’s mane. I was super impressed with my research on this medicinal mushroom. It encourages nerve regeneration and growth, which is exactly what I needed. It’s also great for brain health and memory. I could tell a difference in cognition taking it.
- I did acupuncture. There is some evidence it helps hyposmia, and it did help me. Interestingly, though, it helped a lot the 24 hours after the treatment, then I’d go back to where I was.
- I got lots of sleep and did basic immune support stuff.
- Smell training, which teaches the brain to recognize smells as nerves are growing.
Here’s what happened:
I noticed great results with acupuncture, but as mentioned, they only lasted for a limited time after the treatment. I did three treatments. I joked that I would eat everything I missed during those 24 hours. The first improvement I noticed after adding the supplements was in my ability to smell most things. Then I could taste the first bite of something but nothing after that (known as taste extinction).
I think the zinc made the biggest difference, followed by the lion’s mane. I noticed the biggest shift after I added zinc. It happened slowly; it’s not like I just woke up one morning and could taste everything. I started to notice after three months or so that I could taste more than just the first bite of something. But then I would regress and have what I called “flares” where I’d go days not being able to taste anything again.
After about four months (where I am today), I can pretty much taste and smell everything and no longer have the flares. Some smells are super distorted, which is very odd, and I can’t really smell certain things, like poop, at all anymore (which I guess is a good thing?). Although I’m not good as new, I’m elated to have recovered as much of my smell and taste as I have.
But most of all, this experience reminded me of the power in our body’s ability to heal if we provide it with the nutrients and boosts it needs. Hyposmia is such an unusual condition, but I discovered many people suffer with it, and there is a sad lack of info about how to treat it. I hope this post helps someone else out there.
Good information but isn’t a high percentage of hyposmia age related? Did any of your research relate to that regarding the supplements you listed? Also, I have a vague recollection that zinc overload can be bad for you. Care to comment?
Hi Bill, you’re right, hyposmia and anosmia can be age related, but as I mention in the post, it can also be a warning sign of Alzheimer’s (I linked to the study). I’m mostly discussing post-viral hyposmia. It is of course possible to get too much zinc over time, but that’s not very common. Deficiency is MUCH more common, and as I mention in the article, an illness can wipe our your body’s zinc stores, and supplementation is necessary to replenish. It’s not meant for long term.
About 10 years ago after a particularly difficult upper respiratory illness, I experienced anosmia and was not able to taste Thanksgiving dinner that year. I can certainly understand how depression would result with ongoing symptoms. Thankfully my body gradually healed.
My sympathy to you regarding the loss of your Mom and now as you continue to grieve and move on to life without her. My Mom passed away in July 2017. Even when I was aware of the importance of taking care of myself – it was hard to deal with her terminal illness and death, traveling, eating healthy on the road, and keeping up with everyday life.
Life is very fragile. Just when we think we are strong, we find out that we are one or two steps away from weakness.
Thanks for your comment, Kristin. Glad you were able to recover. Definitely one of the worst things I’ve experienced in my life.
Thank you so much for sharing. It is so difficult to find useful information on this mostly unknown and ignored condition. I have had anosmia for almost 4 years now. My previous doctor didn’t want to refer me to an ENT specialist so I suffered in silence hoping that my smell may come back and that I didn’t have a tumour! Having moved doctors I have now been referred. Luckily my mri came back clear, but the only suggestion I have received is to try a steroid to kickstart my olfactory nerves. I don’t see this as a permanent solution due to the side effects and day 5 in I have not noticed any improvement in smell. I am going to try your suggestions. Fingers crossed it works!
Please report back, Danielle! Sending you healing vibes. Definitely do at least 30 (and more like 60 mg for the first month) of zinc daily. Zinc deficiency can be a cause of anosmia. Believe me, I know exactly how you feel. I’m glad you found my article.
I am so thankful to find this post Mary! There is so little info out there about this condition. I too had a bad cold just before Christmas this year and now have lost my sense of taste. I was very sick for 2 weeks (major sinus issues, cough but no fever.) At one point during the ‘cold’ I lost my sense of smell for about 3-4 days but thought that was normal when so congested. I am pretty sure it turned into a sinus infection as I had a headache and facial pain along with it. I am not one to struggle with sinus issues, this is probably the second time I can remember feeling that way. I went to see the doctor 9 days into the cold and she said I had a viral infection. She gave me antibiotics but said it should clear on it’s own. It did so I didn’t take the antibiotics. 4 days later I was better. I could smell and taste. I remember eating Godiva chocolate cheesecake on Christmas Day and loving it. After a week of being ‘better’ (on New Year’s Day) I noticed I couldn’t taste my soup at lunch and have not had a sense of ‘flavor’ since. I can smell quite well but can’t seem to taste anything. I get hints of sweet, salt, bitter, sour and I think from my sense of smell get a hint of what I am eating. The taste in my mouth is always like a diluted salt water, even when I drink water. I sometimes get very sour and bitter tastes too. Most things taste like cardboard in my mouth. It is all very unsettling and upsetting!
My doctor said that this is not uncommon after having suffered a URI (so it seems this is linked to my upper respiratory infection). She said to give it 1-2 weeks and it should be fine. It is 3 weeks later now. I checked back in with the doc after 10 days, freaking out. My regular doc was out of the office so I consulted with someone new – he said that the issue must be with my nose and not the tongue/mouth as taste and smell come from the same olfactory place and smell is key to taste. He said I need to ‘work on my nose’, that the infection may have cleared from my main nasal passageways but not the smaller ones which can impact taste. I have now been on a regimen of a saline nasal rinse 3x/day and Flonase 2x/day for about 6 days. I also decided to also take the 5 day Z-pack antibiotic in case there is remnants of bacterial infection, today is my last day and no changes so far.
My doctor has also ordered a blood test to look at my Vitamin B and Zinc levels as apparently deficiencies of these vitamins can lead to a loss of taste. My levels came back normal for both vitamins. Everyone seems totally STUMPED by this…especially that I have my sense of smell but not taste. My doc admitted she had never had someone come to her with quite this issue. I think my sense of smell must be impacted by this but I can’t tell how much…I have always had a great sense of smell but it seems unlikely that it would be an issue solely with taste. I also have two kids under 5 still waking up throughout the night, work full time and have a house remodel going on right now. I have known my immune system has been dragging in the gutter for some months because of the current state of my life (lots of wonderful, positive things but all are a heavy load to carry).
Per this post, I am going to add some supplements to my regime. I bought some Alpha Lipoic Acid in a 600mg which I will take and will pick up some additional zinc to boost my Immune support supplement. Any support you can offer Mary would be amazing. This is so depressing, I am a healthy 37 year old Mom 🙁 🙁 🙁
I understand your frustration, Danielle. I would recommend everything I mention in the protocol of the post– the lion’s mane (heals nerve damage), the gingko, the ALA, etc, and especially the zinc. And work on building immune health. Best wishes to you! My smell and taste is almost completely restored, but it took 3-4 months, so don’t give up hope.
Mary, are you still taking the vitamins to help with your situation? And if so how long now have you been on them? I just ordered all the vitamins you suggested, I’m currently going through loss of smell/taste, after having the flu in June 2017. I don’t want to over due it but I do need to hopefully find a cure even if it’s slight.
Cindy, no, I’m not currently doing any support for hyposmia any longer. I did the protocol for 3-4 months until I recovered. Now I’d say I’m at nearly 100%, but it took over 4 months.
Thank you so much for posting your story. You are correct there is not much helpful information on the web. Your story was the only story that gives me some hope. I have never posted before this is my “pay it forward” opportunity.
My story is the same in regards to how it happened even the loss of my parent. I like you have been diligent about nutrition over many years. I’m angry this has happen due to the fact I spend so much time and money making sure I’m healthy.
That being said I’m only 4 weeks into my journey. I had an encouraging visit to my Chiropractor who said my scull was out of alignment. Once adjusted 50% of my taste and smell came back only to leave in a few hours. He recommended I complement his work and give Acupuncture a few sessions.
I strongly feel this is a “energy” imbalance. My Naturopath has muscle tested me for a NES Infoceutical product which will focus on balancing my Immune System. I’m also looking into the “Bemer” Therapy which balances energies. This may sound rather strange to most yet Energy Medicine has been used for years for pain reduction and overall balance.
I have a hard time believing my body is that delicate that it would not only destroy my own cells but not regenerate new cells. The body is so powerful.
Again thank you for your story as it has given me more information to travel my journey of health.
Thanks for your comment, Melissa. I think no doubt it has to do with a compromised immune system. Interesting you had that experience with chiropractic… i had the same with acupuncture. The lion’s mane was truly phenomenal. Best wishes to you.
Thank you so much for this post! I lost my smell/taste, post concussion/head trauma. The loss of taste happened gradually as I remember being able to taste fine when I was at home recovering, immediately after the accident. However about 2-3 weeks later as I was becoming much more functional, and even going to work, I noticed my taste was disappearing! Also different than what you experienced, I have a constant burnt/sweet smell in my nose and everything tastes like this as well. I have researched a bit and it seems as though it is along the lines of Phantosmia, do you know anything more about this? I am honestly just trying to be patient, before going to the doctor, as I have missed too much work as is, and the bills have started coming from all the concussion mess 😐 however I have started taking the supplements that you recommended!! As I mentioned, I am just trying to be patient, as it has only been a week or so that I have been consistently taking the supplements. I was just wondering if you also experienced any of the “phantom” smells and had any insight. Thank you again for your post!! As I think many of these supplements are just good for me recovering from the head trauma as well.
Hi Mariam, I did experience phantom smells as well…. mostly the smell of cigarette smoke, which is not uncommon (also not pleasant). I sometimes still get that even. It comes and goes. The cause in your case is nerve damage, so for head trauma, the lion’s mane especially and the gingko and alpha lipoic acid will all help nerve regeneration. best wishes!