How to get smell and taste back?

Taste detects basic sensations such as sweet, salty, sour, bitter and savoury; smell supplies much of the flavour of food. A blocked nose from a Common Cold, Allergic Rhinitis or Sinusitis can therefore make food seem bland even when the taste buds work normally. Cough, Fever, Earache or Facial Pain and Pressure can help describe the illness around the change, but they do not by themselves identify its cause.

Rest, drink fluids and avoid smoking while you recover. Saline spray may ease a blocked nose. For nasal rinsing, use sterile, distilled or boiled and cooled water, follow the device directions and clean it after use. Choose nourishing foods with varied textures and safe temperatures, and use herbs or mild seasoning if they are comfortable for you. Smell training with a few familiar scents may support recovery. Do not take antibiotics or use steroid or decongestant products without appropriate advice; the right choice depends on the cause and your health history.

Get urgent help for breathing difficulty, confusion, fainting, severe dehydration, a severe headache with neck stiffness, or new weakness. Arrange a review if smell and taste remain changed after the blocked nose and other illness improve, if symptoms keep returning, or if there is marked facial pain, ear pain or fever. Until recovery, check food dates and smoke alarms because reduced smell can hide hazards.

Is the change more consistent with nasal blockage or a problem affecting smell nerves? Would saline care, an examination or smell training suit me? Which symptoms should prompt earlier review?