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Symptoms, Their Causes & Cures: Taste Loss

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Taste Loss

WHEN TO SEE YOUR DOCTOR

* See your doctor any time that you feel you have lost your sense of taste.

What Your Symptom Is Telling You

Remember when you tried your new recipe for that delicately flavored carrot soup—how marvelously interesting it tasted? Thank your nose for that memory.

The taste buds on your tongue are actually quite limited—they recognize only four tastes: sweet, salty, bitter and sour. It's your nose that sniffs out the subtleties of flavor. (That's why you should be sure to read Smell Loss on page 480, after you've finished this chapter. The same factors that cause you to lose your sense of smell will often interfere with your sense of taste.)

In fact, 80 to 90 percent of people who think they've lost their sense of taste haven't—they've actually lost their sense of smell. For those other 10 to 20 percent, the problem is with their taste buds, and it can be caused by (hold on to your hat—we're about to throw another sense into the mix) ear infections or middle-ear surgery. That's because a major nerve for the taste buds passes through the middle ear. These ear problems don't cause an outright loss of taste sensation, but they do cause strange tastes in your mouth. (Most taste problems reduce or distort your sense of taste. It's rare for your sense of taste to vanish completely.)

A yeast (candidiasis) or fungal infection of the tongue can also play tricks with your taste buds. Poor oral hygiene, tooth infections and cavities can blunt your ability to taste. And if you're using antibiotics, a mouth infection called glossitis can dull your palate.

Too little iron in your diet can lead to anemia, which can cause a tongue inflammation that interferes with your sense of taste, says James Stankiewicz, M.D., an otolaryngologist at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois. Researchers have also found that deficiencies in vitamin B₁₂, folate and zinc can cause problems with taste.

And if you light up a cigarette after a dinner that's low in these nutrients, you're in double trouble: Smoking can burn out your taste buds.

People who have been through radiation therapy for cancer often report a loss of taste, as do those who've had major head injuries. Upper respiratory infections can also lead to loss of taste. And, rarely, tumors of the oral cavity, brain or brainstem can damage the sense of taste.

Symptom Relief

As with loss of smell, in many cases your loss of taste will reverse on its own or with help from your doctor. Here are ways to spice up your taste experience.

Use spice—twice. "Switch to highly spiced foods if you feel taste is a problem," suggests Donald Leopold, M.D., an otolaryngologist at Johns Hopkins University's Francis Scott Key Medical Center in Baltimore. "Make liberal use of hot, sour and bitter flavors, such as mustards, hot pepper, chilies and lemon juice for eating enjoyment."

Delight your dentist. Renew your commitment to proper oral hygiene, suggests William H. Friedman, M.D., an otolaryngologist, facial plastic surgeon and director of the Park Central Institute in St. Louis. Make a point of getting regular dental checkups, and while you're there, ask for instructions in proper brushing and flossing techniques.

Quit smoking. "Smoking itself is a very common cause of blunting of the sense of taste," Dr. Friedman says. Smoking causes inflammation, which gets worse the more you smoke. Give up the habit and your food will taste better.

Get enough vitamins and minerals. To make sure you're getting adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals—especially iron—consider taking a daily multivitamin supplement.

"Take iron supplements only as recommended by your doctor," suggests Dr. Stankiewicz. "B₁₂ injections and prescription zinc medications are also available from your doctor." Over-the-counter zinc medications are not recommended, he says.

Wash away mouth infections. If glossitis develops while you're taking antibiotics for another infection, using a salt mouthwash can ease the assault on your taste buds.

"Use one tablespoon salt in an eight-ounce tumbler of warm water to relieve glossitis," Dr. Friedman suggests. If that doesn't do the trick, your doctor may recommend a prescription antifungal mouthwash. Prescription mouthwashes or lozenges can also clear up a yeast infection in the mouth, he says.

Give it time to heal. If you've had an ear infection, your dulled sense of taste should recover after you fully recover, says Richard Doty, Ph.D., director of the Smell and Taste Center at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia. It just may take a while.

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