Can COVID booster cause loss of taste and smell? Dr. Mallika Marshall answers your questions
BOSTON – Dr. Mallika Marshall is answering your medical questions. If you have a question, email her or message her on Facebook or Twitter.
Dr. Mallika is offering her best advice, but as always, consult your personal doctor before making any decisions about your personal health.
Linda in Wareham writes, "I am 74-years-old and have lost my sense of taste but still have a sense of smell. I have tested negative for COVID three times. My doctor says I must have had COVID at some point but could the booster be the culprit?"
As you have probably experienced when you get a stuffy nose from a cold and therefore have difficulty smelling, it often makes foods taste bland.
However, it's unusual to completely lose your sense of taste.
Our taste buds do become less sensitive as we get older, and other than respiratory infections like COVID-19, there are other conditions that can cause a change in taste such as brain injuries, dry mouth, gum disease, certain medications like antibiotics or antidepressants, sinus infections, smoking, and thyroid disease.
A very small number of patients have reported a metallic taste in their mouths immediately after getting the COVID-19 vaccine, but not loss of taste weeks later.
If your loss of taste is due to an unrecognized COVID-19 infection, you should regain your sense of taste, but it could take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of years.