Learn About Recovering Your Sense of Taste After COVID

Understanding Taste Loss During COVID-19

Loss of taste, medically known as ageusia or dysgeusia (distorted taste), has been one of the more puzzling symptoms reported by people with COVID-19. Research from 2020 and 2021 found that between 38% and 53% of COVID-19 patients experienced some degree of taste alteration or loss. This symptom often appeared early in the illness, sometimes even before respiratory symptoms developed. For many people, taste loss was temporary, but for others, it persisted for weeks or months after other COVID symptoms resolved.

Understanding what happens to your taste when you have COVID involves knowing how taste works. Your sense of taste depends on taste buds located on your tongue, the roof of your mouth, and the back of your throat. These taste buds contain sensory cells that detect five basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (savory). Your sense of smell works closely with taste—in fact, much of what you perceive as taste is actually smell. When you chew food, flavor compounds travel to your nose, where smell receptors detect them. This is why food tastes bland when you have a cold or nasal congestion.

With COVID-19, the virus can affect both taste and smell, though researchers are still studying exactly how this happens. Some evidence suggests the virus may directly damage taste receptors or the nerve cells that send taste signals to the brain. The virus may also cause inflammation in areas related to taste processing. Many people who lost taste during COVID also experienced loss of smell, which further reduced their ability to taste food properly.

The good news is that taste loss from COVID is usually temporary. Studies from 2021 and 2022 showed that most people regained their taste within two to four weeks, though some experienced recovery taking several months. Understanding the timeline and what to expect during recovery can help you manage this symptom more effectively.

Practical Takeaway: Taste loss during COVID happens because the virus can affect taste buds and smell receptors. Knowing that this symptom is usually temporary and that most people recover within weeks to months can help you stay positive during recovery.

Timeline and Patterns of Taste Recovery

Recovery from COVID-related taste loss follows different patterns for different people. Research tracking patients over time has identified several common recovery timelines. Most people who experienced complete taste loss reported beginning to notice improvements within the first two to four weeks after their COVID diagnosis. However, the recovery process is rarely sudden. Instead, taste typically returns gradually, with some tastes coming back before others.

One pattern researchers observed is that bitter and salty tastes often return before sweet tastes. Some people reported that sour tastes came back quickly, while others found that umami (savory) tastes took longer to recognize. This staggered return of different taste sensations can feel confusing—you might taste salt in your food but find that sweetness still seems muted. This gradual pattern reflects how the sensory nerves and taste receptors heal at different rates.

In studies following patients over longer periods, researchers found that about 80-90% of people had recovered their sense of taste within two months. However, approximately 5-10% of COVID patients experienced longer-term taste changes lasting several months or even longer. A smaller percentage reported that their taste never fully returned to normal, though most of these people still experienced significant improvement compared to the initial loss.

Factors that may influence recovery speed include age, overall health before COVID, the severity of the initial COVID infection, and whether you also lost your sense of smell. Older adults sometimes experienced slightly slower recovery, while younger people tended to recover more quickly. People who had severe COVID with respiratory complications sometimes took longer to regain taste than those with mild cases.

The recovery process isn't always linear. Some people reported that their taste improved for a few days, then seemed to plateau for a week or two before improving again. Others experienced that their taste returned suddenly rather than gradually. These variations are normal and don't indicate a problem with your recovery.

Practical Takeaway: Most people regain taste within four weeks, though complete recovery can take longer. Expect the process to be gradual, with different tastes returning at different times. Keep track of what tastes you notice returning to monitor your own recovery progress.

Strategies to Support Taste Recovery at Home

While your taste buds heal, several strategies can help support recovery and make eating more enjoyable during the process. These approaches focus on stimulating your senses and maintaining good nutrition while you wait for full recovery.

One important strategy is smell training, also called olfactory training. This technique, originally developed to help people recover from smell loss related to other conditions, involves deliberately smelling strong scents several times per day. Common scents used for this training include rose, lemon, clove, and eucalyptus. The theory is that repeated exposure to these scents stimulates the nerve pathways responsible for smell, potentially speeding recovery. Research on smell training for COVID-related smell loss shows mixed but somewhat encouraging results. To try smell training, spend a few seconds each day smelling each of four different scents, focusing your attention on the smell. Do this multiple times daily for several weeks. While research doesn't guarantee results, many people report that this practice contributed to their recovery.

Keeping your nasal passages clear can also help because smell and taste work together. Using saline nasal drops or spray can reduce congestion and allow smell signals to reach your nose more effectively. Some people found that using a neti pot (a small container designed to rinse nasal passages) helped, though this requires careful technique to avoid complications.

Adjusting your diet during recovery can make eating more pleasant and ensure you get adequate nutrition. Consider these dietary approaches:

• Eat foods with strong flavors and aromas—garlic, onions, ginger, and spices may provide more noticeable sensations even when taste is reduced
• Include foods with interesting textures (crunchy, creamy, chewy) to provide sensory stimulation beyond taste
• Try foods at different temperatures, as temperature changes can make flavors more noticeable
• Eat foods you enjoyed before taste loss to help retrain your taste buds and provide psychological comfort
• Use citrus juices, vinegar, or hot sauce to add stimulation to bland foods
• Avoid very hot foods until your taste returns, as you're at higher risk of accidentally burning your mouth when you can't taste properly

Maintaining adequate nutrition during taste loss requires some attention. When food tastes bland, it's easy to eat less, which can slow your overall recovery. Focus on foods rich in vitamins and minerals important for immune function: zinc, vitamin C, vitamin A, and B vitamins. These nutrients support tissue healing and immune function. If you're struggling to eat enough, consider nutritional supplements, though discuss this with your doctor first.

Staying hydrated is also important. When taste is diminished, you might drink less fluid. Make a conscious effort to drink water throughout the day, even if it doesn't taste like much.

Practical Takeaway: Try smell training with strong scents, adjust your diet to include flavorful and textured foods, and focus on nutrition even when food doesn't taste good. These strategies can make eating more enjoyable while supporting your recovery.

When to Seek Medical Guidance

Most taste loss from COVID resolves without medical treatment, but certain situations warrant contacting a healthcare provider. Understanding when to reach out to your doctor helps ensure you receive appropriate care if complications arise.

You should contact your doctor if your taste loss persists beyond three months after your COVID infection, especially if it's affecting your quality of life or nutrition. While longer recovery periods are possible, your doctor can rule out other causes of taste loss and discuss potential treatment options. Taste loss can result from many conditions—Bell's palsy, head injury, certain medications, nutritional deficiencies, or other viral infections—so your doctor may need to evaluate whether COVID or something else is responsible for your symptoms.

Contact your healthcare provider if you experience sudden changes in taste that don't follow the gradual recovery pattern described earlier. For example, if your taste was improving and then suddenly got worse, or if you develop painful sensations in your mouth along with taste loss, medical evaluation is appropriate. These changes could indicate other conditions requiring treatment.

If taste loss is significantly affecting your nutrition or mental health,