Lost sense of taste: Causes and treatments

Ageusia is the medical term for a complete loss of taste. A partial or full loss of the sense of taste can occur for many reasons, such as problems in the mouth ... MedicalNewsTodayHealthConditionsDiscoverToolsConnectSubscribeWhatcausesalossoftaste?MedicallyreviewedbyEricaRamirez,PA-C—WrittenbyJonJohnson—UpdatedonNovember22,2021CausesDiagnosisTreatmentHomeremediesPreventionSummaryAlostsenseoftastemayrefertoapartialortotallossoftaste.Manypossiblecausesmayleadtoalossoftaste,includingnewmedications,dentalproblems,coldorflu,andCOVID-19.Taste,alsoknownasgustation,isanimportantsensationthatallowspeopletoidentifynutritiousfooditemsandenjoyflavor.Tasteisacomplexsenseinvolvingmanyorgansandtissues,suchasthetongue,roofofthemouth,throat,andnose.Thisiswhysmellcanaffecttaste.Themedicaltermforacompletelossoftasteisageusia,whilelossofsmellisanosmia.Alossoralterationintastecanoccurduetomanydifferentconditions,suchasthosethataffectthetasteorgans,nervoussystem,orinfection.Someoftheseissuesareharmless,whileothersmayrequireadoctor’sdiagnosis.Thetypeoftreatmentwilldependontheunderlyingcause.Thisarticlediscussesthepossiblereasonsapersonmayexperiencealostsenseoftasteandhowdoctorsdiagnoseandtreattheunderlyingissues.CausesShareonPinterestGuilleFaingold/GettyImagesThemostcommontastedisorderisphantomtasteperception.Apersonwiththisdisorderwillhaveastrong,lingeringtasteintheirmouth,evenwhenitisempty.Thetasteisoftenunpleasantandmayoverpowerthetasteofotherfoodswhiletheyeat.Thetastemayalsooccuralongsideapersistentburningsensationintheperson’smouth.Therearethreetypesofphantomtasteperception:AgeusiaAcompletelossofthesenseoftasteiscalledageusia,whichcanmakeapersonunabletodetectanytastes.However,ageusiaisrare.A2016studyestimatesthatonly3%ofpeoplewhoexperiencealossofthesenseoftastehavetrueageusia.DysgeusiaDysgeusiacausesapersistenttasteinthemouththatcanmaskothertastesandmakeallfoodstastethesame.Peoplewithdysgeusiaoftensaythatthetastehasparticularcharacteristics,describingitas:foulrancidsoursaltymetallicHypogeusiaHypogeusiaisthetermforapartiallossofonetypeoftaste.Apersonwithhypogeusiamaybeunabletodetectoneofthekeytastes:bitternesssournesssaltinesssweetnessumami,whichisapleasant,savorytasteOthercausesPossiblecausesoftastedisordersandalossoftastecaninclude:upperrespiratoryinfections,suchasthecommoncoldCOVID-19sinusinfectionsmiddleearinfectionspoororalhygieneanddentalproblems,suchasgingivitisexposuretosomechemicals,suchasinsecticidessurgeriesonthemouth,throat,nose,orearheadinjuriesradiationtherapyforcancerinthisareaofthebodyCausesofsmelldisordersmayinclude:agingsmokinggrowthsinthenasalcavitiesconditionsthataffectthenervoussystem,suchasAlzheimer’sdiseaseorParkinson’sdiseaseLearnmoreaboutlossoftasteandsmellduetoCOVID-19here.Somemedicationsmayalsoaffectaperson’sabilitytotaste.Thesedrugscaninclude:antibioticsantihistamineschemotherapydrugsprotonpumpinhibitorsproteinkinaseinhibitorsDiagnosisTastedisordersarenotuncommon.Beforethepandemic,morethan200,000peopleintheUnitedStatesvisitedthedoctoreachyeartoreportdifficultytastingorsmelling.Someexpertsestimatethat5%ofAmericansdescribeddysgeusia,andalmost1in5Americansover40reportedsomealterationintheirsenseoftaste.Specialistscalledotolaryngologistscandiagnoseandtreatbothsmellandtastedisorders.Thesedoctorsspecializeindisordersthataffecttheear,nose,andthroatandconditionsrelatingtotheheadandneck.Thedoctormaylookforgrowthsinthemouthornose,checkaperson’sbreathing,andsearchforothersignsofinfection.Theywillalsoreviewtheindividual’smedicalhistoryandaskaboutanydruguseandpossibleexposuretotoxicchemicals.Thedoctorwillalsowanttoexamineaperson’smouthandteethtocheckforsignsofdiseaseandinflammation.Tohelpdiagnosethelossoftaste,thedoctormightapplycertainchemicalsdirectlytotheindividual’stongueoraddthemtoasolutionthattheythenswishintheirmouth.Aperson’sresponsetothesechemicalsmayhelpidentifytheaffectedaspectoftaste.Itcantaketimetoidentifyboththetypeofsensorylossthattheindividualisexperiencingandtheunderlyingcondition,butacorrectdiagnosisisanimportantsteptowardpropertreatment.TreatmentTheunderlyingconditioncausingthelostsenseoftastewilldeterminethetreatmentoptions.Insimplecases,suchasthoseresultingfromthecommoncoldorflu,doctorswillusuallywaituntiltheinfectionsubsides.Withmostpeople,theirsenseoftasteshouldreturnoncetheillnessgoesaway.However,evidencesuggeststhatsmellandtasteproblemsmaypersistfollowingSARS-CoV-2infection,particularlyincasesoflongCOVID.Whileresearchisstillunclear,ifapersonexperiencespost-viralolfactorydysfunctionorsmellandtasteproblemsafteraviralinfection,adoctormayconsiderusingolfactorytrainingandtopicalcorticosteroids.Forthosewithbacterialinfections,suchassinusormiddleearinfections,doctorsmayrecommendantibiotics.Treatmentformoreseriousissues,suchasnervoussystemdisordersorheadinjuries,willrequireanindividualizedtreatmentplan.HomeremediesInmanycases,apersoncantakesmallstepsathometohelpimprovetheirsenseoftaste,including:quittingsmokingimprovingdentalhygienebybrushing,flossing,andusingamedicatedmouthwashdailyusingover-the-counterantihistaminesorvaporizerstoreduceinflammationinthenosePreventionItmaynotalwaysbepossibletopreventalossoftaste,andsomecasesmaybetheresultofunderlyingconditionsthatrequiremedicaltreatment.However,peoplecantrytoreducetheriskofageusiaresultingfrominfectionsbytryingthefollowingtips:eatingahealthydietandmaintaininghydrationgettingplentyofrestpracticinggoodhandwashingtechniquewearingafacecoveringinpublicmanagingstressSummaryAgeusiaisthemedicaltermforacompletelossoftaste.Apartialorfulllossofthesenseoftastecanoccurformanyreasons,suchasproblemsinthemouthornose.Inmanycases,thecauseistemporary,suchasaninfectionthatinflamesthenasalpassages.Treatingtheunderlyingconditionshouldmakethesymptomsgoaway.Someunderlyingcauses,suchaschemicalexposure,Alzheimer’sdisease,andaging,maycauseapermanentlossoftaste.Itisessentialforapersontoworkcloselywithadoctortoidentifyandtreattheunderlyingissue.LastmedicallyreviewedonNovember21,2021Ear,Nose,andThroatNeurology/Neuroscience12sourcescollapsedMedicalNewsTodayhasstrictsourcingguidelinesanddrawsonlyfrompeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicaljournalsandassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Welinkprimarysources—includingstudies,scientificreferences,andstatistics—withineacharticleandalsolistthemintheresourcessectionatthebottomofourarticles.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.Dysgeusia.(2020).https://www.enthealth.org/conditions/dysgeusiaFDAAdverseEventReportingSystem(FAERS)publicdashboard.(2021).https://www.fda.gov/drugs/questions-and-answers-fdas-adverse-event-reporting-system-faers/fda-adverse-event-reporting-system-faers-public-dashboardHowdoesoursenseoftastework?(2016).https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279408Hura,N.,etal.(2020).Treatmentofpost-viralolfactorydysfunction:Anevidence-basedreviewwithrecommendations.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alr.22624Levy,J.M.,etal.(2020).TreatmentrecommendationsforpersistentsmellandtastedysfunctionfollowingCOVID-19—Thecomingdeluge.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/2767779Payne,T.,etal.(2021).Gustatorytesting.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK567734Quickstatisticsabouttasteandsmell.(2019).https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-taste-smellRathee,M.,etal.(2021).Ageusia.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549775Smelldisorders.(2017).https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/smell-disordersSyed,Q.,etal.(2016).Theimpactofagingandmedicalstatusondysgeusia. https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(16)30177-2/fulltextTasteandsmell.(n.d.).https://www.yourcovidrecovery.nhs.uk/managing-the-effects/effects-on-your-body/taste-and-smellTastedisorders.(2017).https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/taste-disordersFEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyEricaRamirez,PA-C—WrittenbyJonJohnson—UpdatedonNovember22,2021RelatedCoverageWhydoIhaveabittertasteinmymouth?MedicallyreviewedbyAlanaBiggers,M.D.,MPHAbittertastecanhavemanycauses,includingpregnancy,acidreflux,anddrymouth.Learnmoreaboutsymptoms,causes,andhowtogetridofthe…READMOREWhatcausesasweettasteinthemouth?MedicallyreviewedbyElaineK.Luo,M.D.Sugaryfoodscancauseatemporarysweetaftertaste.However,apersistentsweettasteinthemouthcanbeasignofanumberofseriousconditions.READMOREWhydoIhaveasaltytasteinmymouth?MedicallyreviewedbyStacySampson,D.O.Alonglastingsaltytastecansignalanunderlyingillness,infection,orhormoneimbalance.Learnmoreaboutcausesandtreatmentshere.READMOREWhattoknowaboutswollentastebudsMedicallyreviewedbyChristineFrank,DDSAlookatswollentastebuds,aconditionwherethetastebudsbecomeirritatedandred.Includedisdetailonwhentoseeadoctorandtheoutlook.READMORECanacavitycauseabadtasteinthemouth?MedicallyreviewedbyDeborahWeatherspoon,Ph.D.,MSNWhattodowhenabadtastelingers?Manyissuescancausethis,frompoororalhygienetoneurologicalconditions.Thetastemayalsovary,from…READMORE