Can you lose sense of smell with a general cold/sinus infection?

[Smellgon]

I can’t smell anything, I’m surprised how unsettling it feels!

Me too, although I sense we are not the norm. It's always annoyed me that my husband breezes through colds with barely a sniffle whereas I am absolutely guaranteed to be very congested and lose taste and smell for at least 2 days. Wonder what makes us so susceptible?

Intriguingly, I didn't lose it when I had COVID. Go figure!

Interesting how people are convinced and obsessed that only covid can have this effect. Sufferers like me have had this over the years and no one was bothered, certainly my GP wasnt that bothered. Now people focus on it a lot more but only because 'covid'.

Im not 'congested' either when it happens, in fact I know that once the cold starts clearing up in terms of the mucas and congestion, thats when it will trigger the lack of taste and smell and like someone referred to, its like its just cut, theres not a bit of it left its like you're sitting behind a glass jar completely cut off.

You see this on many threads about illness though. Despite someone testing negative 59 times they'll be told the tests likely just aren't picking it up. Whatever symptom someone says they have people will say that sounds exactly like me when I had covid! I remember a couple of years ago someone saying covid gave them sore elbows and how it was such a weird virus for doing that and covid was so unique etc. I googled sore elbows virus and found a thread with someone saying the same thing from about 2017!
I think some people have got it in their heads that covid is just SO different to anything else we've ever seen before that any weird or severe symptom must be from that.
The fact is many viruses do many odd things. Covid just seems a lot more contagious then others (maybe because it's still new?) So more people are experiencing these symptoms that they never have before.
I have a friend who had pneumonia in 2021 after a virus. Was absolutely CONVINCED it was covid that caused it. She was swabbed in the hospital and they told her influenza A. She still to this day tells everyone it was covid that caused it.

Urgh, had a terrible viral thing for at least two weeks now and still can't smell or taste anything. Testing negative for Covid. Really hope it does one in time for Christmas!!

My sense of smell and taste has been impaired temporarily by colds and viruses in the past, but nothing was ever like covid the first time I had it. I completely lost all sense of taste and smell for a good while and it never actually fully recovered either. It's really unsettling when you can't smell things like smoke or how your food smells because you can't tell if it's good or bad. It's really upsetting. I hope it passes for you. Apparently most people regain their sense of smell in a sensible amount of time unlike me!

Thank you, fingers crossed! Glad you got yours back!

Never happened to me before having Covid. Covid wrecked my senses of smell and taste, plus gave me revolting phantom smells and tastes. Eventually got better.

Since Covid, every time I have a cold it all starts over again.

Yes, me too.

I have temporarily lost my sense of smell and taste with colds.

Unfortunately the third time I had covid permanently altered this.

@Smellgon Aware this is a month old now but just wondering whether your sense of smell returned? My smell partially went when I had covid at the beginning of January, was just starting to return then yesterday I came down with a horrendous cold/sinus thing. My nose was completely blocked but now feels completely clear, yes my smell is still basically zero - much worse than with covid!! It's definitely not covid again as I have tested. So disquieting to be able to breathe through my nose absolutely fine but not be able to smell anything! Would be good to hear if it sorted itself out for you...

It's happened to me twice in my life, about 10-ish years ago. Both times I had a really mild cold but lost all sense of smell and taste.

Edit: Oh, an old thread. Would love to know if OP has come to her senses! In the smell and taste sense, of course.

I am responsible for resurrecting the old thread during anxious googling! How long did your smell lost last on those occasions? Mine seemed to improve briefly earlier, but now back to pretty much zero :(

It was a while ago but the first time it happened it was for about an hour, and the second time (separate cold, maybe a year or so later) it went for a few hours.

Hopefully yours comes back again before too long! My DH lost his recently for about 4 days (not covid related), but it came back and he's had no problem since.

@Greenshake now this thread is resurrected then very glad to report that mine has fully restored, for which I’m very very glad!

Ah that’s great Pyri 🙂