Improvement was gradual. Although this low improvement rate is discouraging, it should be remembered that we typically see the worst cases here at the Taste and Smell Center. There are probably many individuals out in the community who lost their sense of smell as a result of a virus and recovered it within short periods of time. The history usually is that of gradual loss of smell ability proceeding to total loss. Recurrent, rapid, temporary improvement in the ability to smell, often after exercise or showering, is often reported.
Some patients report temporary improvement with medications, such as antibiotics or corticosteroids.
Chronic sinusitis may present with smell loss and no other chronic symptoms, however. Viral infection can lead to sinusitis in susceptible patients. This group of patients will have sinusitis as a key feature of their smell loss, but will report a sudden loss of smell as a result of an upper respiratory virus. The specialized smell tissue at the top of the nose is not damaged, however. It is important to discern between viral damage and sinusitis as only the latter is treatable.