Lost my sense of smell after a bad cold — should I go to urgent care?
I’m a 21-year-old male (6’0”, 190 lbs) and recently caught a pretty bad cold that seems to be going around.
My symptoms started Sunday, March 1, and from Sunday through Wednesday I was extremely sick — basically bedridden and couldn’t leave my apartment.
Since Thursday up until now (Sunday, March 8), the main symptoms have been congestion and a reduced sense of smell. I’m assuming the smell loss is from the congestion. The congestion has improved slightly since Thursday, and overall I feel much better than when I was sick earlier in the week.
At this point I don’t feel sick anymore, but I still have some nasal congestion and can’t smell much (though I can sometimes detect stronger scents).
I’m wondering if this sounds like a typical recovery from a viral cold, or if I should go to urgent care to rule out a bacterial sinus infection that might require antibiotics.
My current plan is to wait until Wednesday (about 10 days from when symptoms started) and go to urgent care if my sense of smell hasn’t returned or if the congestion hasn’t improved.
Does this sound reasonable, or should I get checked out sooner? (PS. I have a trip planned March 15 to San Diego so I'm hoping to get my smell back so I can also taste the delicious food).
Posted Mar 8, 2026, 8:08 PM UTC