Long COVID loss of smell
Long COVID loss of smell
When your sense of smell hasn’t returned after a COVID infection, it can feel confusing, isolating and frustrating. This page explains what happens in post-COVID olfactory dysfunction, why your smell might still be affected, and how our specialist Smell Clinic offers a pathway to help you move forward.
What is long COVID loss of smell?
For many people, once the acute phase of a COVID infection passes, their sense of smell gradually recovers. In some cases, however, smell loss or distortion persists – this is often referred to as post-COVID olfactory dysfunction. According to one major review, around 30% of people who had COVID were found to still have smell deficits one year later.
Symptoms can include:
Anosmia
Complete loss of smell
Hyposmia
Reduced sense of smell
Parosmia
Smells that seem different of unpleasant
Phantosmia
Smells that aren't really there
How long does smell loss last after COVID?
Most people who lose their sense of smell with COVID notice some improvement within a few weeks. But for many, symptoms continue for six to twelve months or longer. This can be especially distressing because smell plays a much larger role in daily life than we often realise.
Smell and taste are closely connected, so when smell is reduced or distorted, food can taste bland, metallic or unfamiliar. Eating becomes less enjoyable, appetite can change and social meals may feel very different. Smell also affects memory, emotions and safety – from detecting smoke or gas to recognising familiar scents.
For people living with long COVID smell loss, these changes can have a real impact on quality of life, which is why the right support and assessment can make such a meaningful difference.
What can be done to support the recovery of smell?
Smell training
Regularly sniffing familiar, strong scents (such as citrus, coffee, eucalyptus) can help retrain the smell nerves
ENT assessment
Reviewing nasal inflammation, sinus disease or diagnosing treatable conditions
PRP pathway
At the Smell Clinic, we combine detailed assessment with a four-step PRP (platelet-rich plasma) treatment pathway delivered by experienced ENT specialists