What's Causing My Loss of Smell and Taste? - WebMD

If you plug your nose, nothing tastes the same. Taste and smell issues are common with age and allergies, but they could also be a sign of ... Brain&NervousSystemSlideshowsMedicallyReviewedbyPoonamSachdevonJune21,2022Whenyoursenseofsmellgoessouth,tasteusuallyfollows.That’sbecausetheolfactoryareainyournosecontrolsboth.Whenyouchewfood,odormoleculesenterthebackofyournose.Yourtastebudstellyouifafoodissweet,sour,bitter,orsalty.Yournosefiguresoutthespecifics,likeifthatsweettasteisagrapeoranapple.Ifyouplugupyournose,fooddoesn’ttastethesamebecauseyoucan’tsmellit.Asyouage,youlosesomeoftheolfactorynervefibersinyournose.Youhavefewertastebuds,andtheonesyouhaveleftaren’tassharp,especiallyoverage60.Thisoftenaffectsyourabilitytonoticesaltyorsweettastesfirst,butdon’taddmoresaltorsugartoyourfood.Thatcouldcauseotherhealthissues.Anythingthatirritatesandinflamestheinnerliningofyournoseandmakesitfeelstuffy,runny,itchy,ordrippycanaffectyoursensesofsmellandtaste.Thisincludesthecommoncold,sinusinfections,allergies,sneezing,congestion,theflu,andCOVID-19.Inmostcases,yoursenseswillreturntonormalwhenyoufeelbetter.Ifit’sbeenacoupleofweeks,callyourdoctor.Ifyoucan’tgetenoughairthroughyournose,yoursenseofsmellsuffers.Andsmellaffectstaste.Blockageshappenifyouhavenasalpolyps.Thesearenoncanceroustumorsthatgrowintheliningofyournoseandsinuses.Oryoucouldhaveadeviatedseptumthatmakesoneofyournasalpassagessmallerthantheother.Botharetreatedwithnasalsprays,medication,orsurgery.Yourolfactorynervecarriesscentinformationfromyournosetoyourbrain.Traumatothehead,neck,orbraincandamagethatnerve,aswellastheliningofyournose,nasalpassages,orthepartsofyourbrainthatprocesssmell.Youmaynoticeitimmediatelyorovertime.Insomecases,yoursensesreturnontheirown,especiallyifthelosswasmildtostart.Youmaypartlygetbetterandonlybeabletotasteorsmellstrongflavorsandscents.Doctorsdon’tunderstandwhy,butlossofsmellcanbeanearlywarningsignofdementia,Alzheimer’s,andParkinson’sdisease.Othermedicalconditionscandamagethenervesthatleadtothesmellcenterofyourbrain,too.Theseincludediabetes,Bell’spalsy,Huntington’sdisease,Kleinfeltersyndrome,multiplesclerosis,Paget’sdiseaseofbone,andSjogren’ssyndrome.Ifyoucan’ttasteorsmellafterafewdays,talktoyourdoctortoruleoutotherconditions.Certainkindsofcancerandtreatmentcanchangethemessagesbetweenyournose,mouth,andbrain.Thisincludestumorsinyourheadorneckandradiationtothoseareas.Chemotherapyortargetedtherapyandsomemedicationsforsideeffectscanalsohaveaneffect.Youmayhaveametallictasteinyourmouthorfindthatcertainodorsaredifferentorstronger.Theseissuesoftengoawaywhenyourtreatmentends.Someprescriptionandover-the-countermedicationscanshiftyoursenses,especiallyantibioticsandbloodpressuremedications.Theyeitheralteryourtastereceptors,scramblethemessagesfromyourtastebudstoyourbrain,orchangeyoursaliva.Talktoyourdoctorbeforeyoustoptakinganymedication.Lossoftasteandsmellcouldbeyourbody’swayoftellingyouyou’relowinvitamins.Certainconditionsandmedicationscancauseyoutobelowinvitaminsassociatedwithsmellandtaste,likeA,B6,B12,andzinc.Itcanbeachicken-eggsituation,too:Ifyoueatlessbecauseyoucan’tsmellortasteanything,yourbodymaynotgetvitaminsitneeds.Besidesitsabilitytocausecancer,tobaccosmokecaninjureorkillthecellsthathelpyourbrainclassifysmellsandtaste.Smokingcanalsocauseyourbodytomakemoremucusandlessenyournumberoftastebuds.Cocaineusecanhaveasimilareffectonyoursensorycells.Socanhazardouschemicalslikechlorine,paintsolvents,andformaldehyde.Afteraphysicalexam,yourdoctorwillcheckyourabilitytotasteandsmellseparately.Forthesmelltest,you’llnameaseriesofscentsinsmallcapsulesoronscratch-and-snifflabels.Atastetestinvolvesstripsthatyouidentifyassweet,sour,bitter,salty,orumami,alsocalledsavory.Yourdoctormaylookinsideyournosewithanendoscope(acameraontheendofaflexibletube)ororderaCTscanforabetterviewofyoursinuses,nosenerves,andbrain. Whenyouloseyoursensesofsmellandtaste,itaffectsyourlifeinmanyways.Thisconditionisasafetyrisksinceyoucan’tsmellsmoke,poison,orgasortastespoiledfood.Usefirealarms,checkexpirationdatesonfood,andswitchtoelectricifyouhavenaturalgas.Alwayseathealthyfood,evenifyoucan’ttasteit.ShowSourcesIMAGESPROVIDEDBY:GettyImagesGettyImagesGettyImagesNucleusMedicalMediaGettyImagesGettyImagesGettyImagesGettyImagesGettyImagesGettyImagesGettyImagesGettyImagesSOURCES:UniversityofMiamiHealthSystem:“DisordersofSmellandTaste.”MedicalUniversityofSouthCarolina:“Smell&TasteDisorders.”RichardDoty,PhD,professoranddirector,SmellandTasteCenter,PerelmanSchoolofMedicine,UniversityofPennsylvania,Philadelphia.MayoClinic:“Islossoftasteandsmellnormalwithaging?”“LossofSmell,”“HayFever,”“Deviatedseptum.”UCSanDiegoHealth:“LossofSmellandTasteValidatedasCOVID-19Symptoms.”NationalInstituteonAging:“HowSmellandTasteChangeasYouAgeBrainline:“ChangesinTaste,SmellandHormonesAfterBrainInjury.”ModelSystemsKnowledgeTranslationCenter:“LossofSmellorTasteAfterTraumaticBrainInjury.”JournalofAlzheimer’sDisease:“OdorIdentificationAbilityPredictsPETAmyloidStatusandMemoryDeclineinOlderAdultsAARP:“PoorSenseofSmellMayDoubleRiskofDementia.”ColumbiaUniversityIrvingMedicalCenter:“CanASmellTestSniffOutAlzheimer’sDisease?”Parkinson’sFoundation:“LossofSmell.”Breastcancer.org:“TasteandSmellChanges.”AmericanCancerSociety:“TasteandSmellChanges.”HarvardHealthPublishing:“Askthedoctor:Ismybloodpressuremedicationchangingmyabilitytotaste?”“VitaminB12deficiencycanbesneaky,harmful.”AmericanFamilyPhysician:“SmellandTasteDisorders:APrimaryCareApproach.”WinchesterHospital:“TasteandSmellDisorders.”NationalLibraryofMedicine:“TobaccoInfluenceonTasteandSmell:SystematicReviewoftheLiterature.”KidsHealth:“WhatAreTasteBuds?”BrighamandWomen’sHospital:“SmellandTasteDisorders.”©2022WebMD,LLC.Allrightsreserved.ViewprivacypolicyandtrustinfoMSBrainFog?TipstoHelpYouThinkClearly10EarlySignsofAlzheimer'sHowtoKeepYourMindSharpWithMSIsItMSorAmIHavingaStroke?MedicalMarijuana:HowIt'sUsedTreatingandPreventingMigrainesHealthSolutionsPenisCurvedWhenErect?CouldIhaveCAD?TreatBentFingersTreatHR+,HER2-MBCTiredofDandruff?BenefitsofCBDRethinkMSTreatmentAFib-RelatedStrokesRiskofaFutureDVT/PEIsMyPenisNormal?RelapsingMSOptionsLiverTransplantsSaveLivesFinancePlasticSurgeryBentFingerCausesLivingWithPsoriasis?MissingTeeth?MorefromWebMD5TipstoHelpWithRelapsingMSHowtoThriveWithNarcolepsyReliefforBlockedHairFolliclesPsoriaticArthritisandYourSleepWhatPsoriasisFeelsLikeFirstPsoriaticArthritisFlareTalkingtoYourDoctorAboutRACrohn's:A'Full-Body'DiseaseAvoidingCrohn’sFlaresHealthBenefitsofHempSeedOilLiveBetterWithPsoriaticDiseaseTypesofB-CellTherapyforMS5HealthBenefitsofHempWhyProstateCancerSpreadsLivingwithAdvancedBreastCancerWhereBreastCancerSpreads