Everything tastes like cardboard. Or maybe it’s worse—maybe your morning coffee suddenly smells like burnt rubber or rotting garbage. It’s isolating. Food is one of the few universal joys we have, and when it’s gone, the world feels gray.
If you’re wondering how to get your taste back after covid, you aren't alone. Millions are in this boat. We used to think the virus just killed off the taste buds on the tongue, but we’ve learned it's much more complicated than that. It’s actually an inflammatory attack on the supporting cells in your nose and the neural pathways connecting your senses to your brain. Basically, the hardware is fine, but the software is glitching.
The good news? The body is incredibly resilient. The bad news is that "waiting it out" isn't always the fastest route. You have to actively retrain your nervous system to recognize flavors again.
The weird science of why food tastes "off"
It's called parosmia. That’s the technical term for when things smell or taste distorted. You might find that high-protein foods like chicken or eggs suddenly taste metallic. This happens because as your olfactory neurons—the nerve cells that detect smell—try to regrow, they sometimes make the wrong connections.
Think of it like a telephone switchboard where the wires got crossed. You’re trying to call "Vanilla," but the wire is plugged into "Chemical Exhaust." According to research led by Dr. Sandeep Robert Datta at Harvard Medical School, the virus doesn't usually destroy the neurons themselves. Instead, it hits the sustentacular cells. These are the "helper" cells that provide nutrients and structural support to your smelling nerves. When they go down, the whole system collapses.
Why you can still "taste" salt but not flavor
People often get confused because they can still tell if something is salty or sweet, but they can't tell the difference between a strawberry and a potato. That’s because "taste" and "flavor" are two different things. Your tongue handles the basics: salt, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami. That’s the gustatory system. But 80% of what we call flavor is actually smell. This is the "retronasal" olfaction—the aromas that travel from the back of your mouth up into your nose while you chew. If those sensors are offline, your brain only gets the basic data from the tongue. It's like watching a movie with the sound turned off.
✨ Don't miss: 80 Year Old Sex: Why We Need to Stop Acting Like It Doesn't Happen
Olfactory training: Physical therapy for your nose
You can't just wish your senses back. You have to work them. Olfactory training is currently the gold standard for how to get your taste back after covid. It’s basically physical therapy for your nose.
The protocol, popularized by groups like AbScent and the British Rhinological Society, involves exposing yourself to four specific scents twice a day. Usually, these are Rose, Eucalyptus, Lemon, and Clove. Why these four? They represent different categories of scent (floral, fruity, spicy, and resinous).
Don't just sniff them casually. You need to really focus. Take small, "bunny sniffs" for about 20 seconds per scent. While you do it, try to visualize what that item looks and smells like. If you're sniffing lemon, picture the bright yellow skin and the spray of juice when it’s sliced. This mental visualization helps bridge the gap between the physical stimulus and the brain's memory center. It's about coaxing those neurons to fire correctly again.
Changing your diet to survive the "blah" phase
While you're waiting for your nerves to heal, eating can be a chore. Some people lose weight because everything is unappealing. Others overeat because they’re chasing a "hit" of flavor they can’t quite find.
Focus on texture. If you can’t taste the flavor, lean into the crunch. Add toasted nuts to salads, use crispy panko on chicken, or try juicy, popping foods like pomegranate seeds. The "mouthfeel" becomes your primary source of enjoyment.
Temperature variation. Cold foods sometimes hide the distorted "off" smells better than hot foods. If cooked meat smells putrid to you right now (a common parosmia symptom), try cold deli meats or protein shakes.
🔗 Read more: Kidney Stones: What the Doctor Won't Tell You About Getting Rid of Them
The "Umami" hack. Use ingredients high in glutamate, like soy sauce, parmesan cheese, or mushrooms. These hit the tongue receptors directly and don’t rely as heavily on your sense of smell to feel satisfying.
Acid is your friend. A heavy squeeze of lime or a splash of vinegar can cut through the "muted" feeling of a meal. It stimulates the trigeminal nerve—the nerve responsible for "sensation" in the face—which can give you a different kind of sensory satisfaction.
Medical interventions: What actually works?
Be careful with what you read on TikTok. There were rumors for a while about "burnt orange" cures or chiropractic neck cracks magically restoring taste. There's no clinical evidence for those.
However, some medical treatments are showing promise in clinical settings. Steroid nasal sprays are often prescribed to bring down inflammation in the nasal cavity. If the "gate" is swollen shut, the scents can't get to the receptors.
Some doctors are also looking into Vitamin A drops and Omega-3 supplements. A study published in International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology suggested that Omega-3s might support nerve regeneration. It’s not a "pill that fixes it," but it provides the raw materials your body needs to repair the damage.
Another emerging treatment is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy. This involves taking a patient's own blood, concentrating the platelets, and injecting them into the nasal tissues. It sounds intense, but the growth factors in platelets might kickstart the healing of those damaged helper cells. It’s still considered experimental, so you’d need to find a specialist (an ENT) who is participating in these trials.
The timeline of recovery
Patience is the hardest part. Nerve regeneration is slow. We’re talking millimeters per month. For most people, taste and smell return within a few weeks. But for a significant minority—about 10% to 15%—it can take months or even over a year.
If you’ve hit the six-month mark and still have nothing, don't give up. The olfactory system is one of the few parts of the human nervous system that can actually regenerate throughout your entire life. Your body wants to fix this.
Practical steps to take right now
Stop waiting for it to just "happen." Take control of the recovery process with these specific actions:
- Start scent training today. You don't need a fancy kit. Use what’s in your pantry: coffee grounds, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and peppermint oil. Do it twice a day, every day. Consistency is more important than the intensity of the smell.
- Keep a "Scent Journal." This sounds tedious, but it's vital. Write down what you smell. Maybe today the lemon smelled like nothing, but next week it smells slightly "dusty." That’s progress. It means a signal is getting through.
- Manage the "triggers." If certain smells like onions or garlic have become "distorted" and disgusting, avoid them for now. Don't force yourself to eat things that make you nauseous. Use bland bases like rice, pasta, or plain yogurt while your system recalibrates.
- Consult an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist). If you haven't seen an expert yet, go. They can check for polyps or other obstructions that might be compounding the post-covid issues.
- Check your Zinc levels. While not a cure-all, Zinc deficiency is known to affect taste. A simple blood test can tell you if you're low, and a supplement might provide the baseline support your taste buds need to function.
The path to getting your taste back after covid isn't a straight line. You'll have good days where you think you caught a whiff of rain or roasting meat, followed by days of total silence. Stay the course with the olfactory training; it is the most evidence-based way to "re-wire" your brain and get back to enjoying your life.