Why did I never realise I smelled less well?

Because the loss is gradual over years. The brain adapts to its new capacity without warning. You only realise as you recover.

Do all ex-smokers fully recover?

Most, yes. Some keep a slight decrease (especially after decades of smoking) but with no day-to-day issue.

Will I dislike what I used to love?

Possibly. Many ex-smokers find their old favourites too salty, sweet or strong. It is the adjustment of preferences to finer senses.

Does heated tobacco (IQOS) damage taste?

Yes, but less than the cigarette. Less combustion, less direct attack — but the effect exists, especially on smell.

If I have a cold, how to tell if it is that or the cigarette?

If the loss of taste/smell lasts beyond 2-3 weeks without a cold, tobacco (or another cause) is at play. See an ENT beyond that.

Loss of smell and taste from cigarettes — and their spectacular comeback after quitting

Tobacco lastingly impairs smell and taste. Mechanisms, food consequences, and the spectacular return of the senses 48-72 hours after quitting.

May 16, 2026 Aria

If you have smoked for a long time, you have probably forgotten what fresh bread really smells like, the smell of rain on grass, or the complexity of a good wine. The cigarette steals smell and taste slowly, and most smokers do not even notice. Good news: those senses come back fast and strong when you quit.

Why tobacco cuts the senses

× 2 to 3 Smokers have on average 2-3 times more difficulty identifying common smells and tastes than comparable non-smokers.

Clinical studies on smokers' chemosensory function

What you lose without realising

The change is gradual. For years, smokers adapt without realising what they no longer perceive:

Ex-smokers often describe the return of their senses as a revelation. They rediscover at 50 or 60 smells they had forgotten since their twenties. It is one of the most joyful benefits of quitting.

Selon les pneumologues

Myth vs reality

The return of the senses, by timeline

48 hours first noticeable improvements, especially for sweet.
3 days taste buds start regenerating (10-15-day renewal cycle).
1-2 weeks sensitivity to flavours and smells improves clearly.
1-3 months most ex-smokers have got the bulk back.
6 months to 1 year near-complete recovery, comparable to a non-smoker.

The effect to plan for: weight gain

The return of taste and smell is one of the causes of weight gain after quitting. Food becomes so delicious you eat a little more. That is also why many ex-smokers shift to sweet — the brain seeks a new reward, and sugar is intense again after years of dimming.

And vaping?

Vape has a far smaller effect than cigarettes on smell and taste. Vapers who used to smoke generally regain most of their senses, sometimes without reaching a non-smoker level (nicotine itself seems to play a minor role).

In United Kingdom

Your questions

Why did I never realise I smelled less well?

Because the loss is gradual over years. The brain adapts to its new capacity without warning. You only realise as you recover.
Do all ex-smokers fully recover?

Most, yes. Some keep a slight decrease (especially after decades of smoking) but with no day-to-day issue.
Will I dislike what I used to love?

Possibly. Many ex-smokers find their old favourites too salty, sweet or strong. It is the adjustment of preferences to finer senses.
Does heated tobacco (IQOS) damage taste?

Yes, but less than the cigarette. Less combustion, less direct attack — but the effect exists, especially on smell.
If I have a cold, how to tell if it is that or the cigarette?

If the loss of taste/smell lasts beyond 2-3 weeks without a cold, tobacco (or another cause) is at play. See an ENT beyond that.

sources

Vennemann MM et al., The association between smoking and smell and taste impairment, Journal of Neurology, 2008.
Pasquali B, Hyposmia in smokers: review of the literature, ORL France.
Doty RL, Kerr KL, Effects of cigarette smoking on smell function, Journal of Toxicology, 2003.
French Society of ENT, dossier Tobacco's effects on chemosensory functions.