Home remedies for loss of smell and taste: smell training, steam and flavourful food
Food tasting like cardboard after a cold, sinus infection or viral illness is frustrating and can affect appetite. These home remedies for loss of smell and taste — daily smell training with familiar kitchen spices, steam and saline rinses to clear the nose, and meals with texture, colour and zest — support recovery over the following weeks.
Home remedies for loss of smell and taste: how recovery works
Most of what we call taste is actually smell. When the nose is blocked or the smell nerves are irritated by a virus (including COVID-19), flavours fade. Many people recover within weeks; for some it takes months. Smell training — deliberately sniffing strong scents twice daily — is one of the few approaches with research support.
Ayurveda links loss of smell with kapha blocking the head channels and uses steam, pratimarsha nasya (a drop of warm ghee or anu taila in each nostril, where appropriate) and pungent foods to clear them.
Ingredients
- Four strong, familiar scents: e.g. clove, lemon peel, eucalyptus or mint, and roasted coffee or rose
- Small jars with lids
- Saline for nasal rinse (boiled, cooled water with salt)
- Flavourful food: ginger, lemon, mint chutney, black pepper
How to prepare
- Place each scent in a separate labelled jar.
How to use
- Twice a day, sniff each jar gently for 15–20 seconds while concentrating on the memory of that smell.
- Continue daily for at least 12 weeks, even if progress seems slow.
- Clear the nose first with steam or a saline rinse if it feels blocked.
- Add lemon, ginger, mint and pepper to meals and vary textures to keep eating enjoyable.
Helpful habits
- Keep smoke alarms working and check food dates carefully, since you may not smell gas, smoke or spoiled food.
- Don't smoke — it dulls smell further.
- Eat enough protein and zinc-rich foods like dals, seeds and nuts.
Precautions
- Don't sniff essential oils directly from the bottle or put them in the nose; use mild, natural scents.
- Nasya and nasal rinses aren't suitable for young children; ask a paediatrician. Pregnant women should ask before herbal nasal oils.
- Some medicines can affect taste and smell — ask your doctor rather than stopping them.
- See a doctor for loss of smell lasting more than a few weeks, loss on one side only, after a head injury, with nosebleeds, or with other neurological symptoms.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take for smell and taste to come back?
- After a cold, usually days to weeks. After viral infections like COVID-19, it can take weeks to months.
What is smell training?
- Sniffing four strong scents twice a day for several months to help the smell system recover.
Can steam bring back smell?
- Steam helps if a blocked nose is the cause. If nerves are affected, smell training is more useful.
