One of the best moments for many is when enjoying the taste of their favorite foods, but if you suddenly feel that the sense of taste is not working in the usual way, then you should pay attention. The cause may be an underlying condition, which needs proper diagnosis and treatment. Some people may experience a partial loss of taste (hypogeusia) or complete loss of taste (anorexia). What are the reasons for losing the sense of taste? How is the diagnosis and treatment made?

How does the sense of taste work?

When you start eating, two of your most important senses begin to work together: the sense of smell in the nose, and the sense of taste in the tongue. So as to feel the taste of 4 main flavors except illusion:

• salty
• sweet
• passing by
• sour

At the same time, the sense of smell allows you to enjoy the delicious aroma of food. So when a defect occurs in any of these two senses, your sense of taste changes.

Reasons for losing the sense of taste

Some health problems may lead to a decrease or loss of the ability to taste, including:

1. Disorder of taste

The most common taste disorder is phantom taste perception, in which the person with it feels a strong unpleasant taste, along with a constant burning sensation in the mouth, even when the mouth is empty. In the case of eating food, that taste may overwhelm the taste of foods.

It also includes poor taste, dyspraxia when mixing different types of taste, and a complete loss of the ability to taste, which is the rarest type among the previous classifications.

2. Gum and teeth problems

Poor dental hygiene may lead to inflammation of the tissues around them (gingivitis), a common condition that results from food debris mixing with saliva and bacteria, which in turn forms dental plaque (tartar).

If gingivitis is not treated, the inflammation often extends to the jaw bones, causing periodontitis. This may affect the sense of taste due to the presence of pus that causes a bad taste in the mouth.

3. Treatments for cancer patients

Chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer may lead to a loss of the sense of taste, as a result of its effect on the taste buds and salivary glands.

This may result in a different taste of some foods, the feeling that different foods have the same taste, and also the feeling of having a metallic taste in the mouth, especially after eating meat and proteins.

Therefore, the matter needs to be followed up by the doctor, and the patient may regain, after the end of treatment, usually within a month, the feeling of a slow return of the sense of taste.

4. Infection with some diseases

One of the reasons for losing the sense of taste may be some diseases, such as:

5. Side effects of taking some medications

Taking some medications may affect the loss of the sense of taste, such as:

• Proton pump inhibitors
• protein kinase inhibitors
• Some antifungal medications

6. Getting older

The people most at risk of impaired sense of taste and the ability to differentiate between flavors are the elderly over the age of 80. Some women can begin to lose their sense of taste after the age of forty, while for men a change in the ability to taste may begin in their fifties. But it is not always related to age, so it is recommended to consult a doctor to find out the reason behind her weakness or loss.

Diagnostic methods

And because diagnosis is the first step in order to determine the pathogens, and the most appropriate methods of treatment. Therefore, the doctor may ask a number of questions, such as:

1. Family medical history.
2. Medications the patient is using.
3. Exposure to toxic chemicals such as pesticides.
4. What did the patient smoke?
5. Any other symptoms associated with the loss of the sense of taste.
6. Examine the mouth, nose, and breathing for any signs of infection or inflammation.
7. Request a blood test to find the underlying cause of the loss of taste.

The doctor may also use certain types of chemicals directly on the patient’s tongue or add them to a solution, which the patient rinses to determine the extent of the patient’s response to those substances, and to determine the affected side of the sense of taste.

Methods of Treatment

In order to receive the correct treatment, the doctor must first diagnose the condition and find out the reasons for the loss of the sense of taste. Where some pathological conditions may result in a permanent loss of the sense of taste, or it may be a temporary injury that can be treated, such as:

• If it is caused by excessive smoking: the patient should stop smoking.
• In cases of allergies and symptoms of the common cold, which may weaken the sense of taste or cause a temporary loss of it: the doctor may prescribe antihistamines.
• If you are taking medications that cause dry mouth: the doctor may prescribe another medication.
• In cases of sore throat, salivary glands, or sinusitis: The doctor may prescribe some types of antibiotics.

In the end, our advice to you will always be to maintain your health in general and stop practicing bad health habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol, and neglecting gum and dental hygiene. This is in order to avoid, as much as possible, the risk of contracting any of the chronic diseases or that may disturb your life so that you can recover. And if you need to consult a doctor, you can contact a specialist doctor via this link