Most of us enjoy our favorite meal or snack because we love its taste. Hence, a sense of taste is how the tongue perceives a combination of chemical signals. Also, it is a combination of how food smells, looks, and sounds to you. Our tongue is sensitive to tastes like sweet, salty, bitter, and sour.
However, there are cases where the sense of taste is lost. Likewise, bad taste refers to the absence or altered sense of taste. Most lost sense of taste is temporary. Complete lost sense of taste is rare.
Possible Causes
1. Common Cold
Common cold causes a lost sense of smell and taste. For the moment, cold damages the ability to smell and perceive flavor. Therefore, it causes swollen tissue in the nose. As a result, the inflammation hinders the sense of smell.
2. Flu
Flu, such as influenza, cause a stuffy nose, coughing, and sneezing. Such symptoms affect the sense of taste.
3. Sinus Infections
Swollen tissues in the sinus hinder its ability to drain. As it happens, you may have lost your sense of smell and taste. Likewise, its mucus can give off a foul odor, leading to a bad taste in the mouth.
4. Throat Infections
Moreover, this condition may cause a foul or bad taste. Examples of throat infections are strep throat and pharyngitis. Aside from the sour taste, it also gives you bad breath.
5. Salivary Gland Infections
Inside the mouth are salivary glands. Hence, it can also get an infection. If there’s an infection, it can affect the taste, chewing, and swallowing. Also, another symptom of salivary gland infection is terrible taste.
6. Smoking
Furthermore, higher levels of smoking affect both senses of smell and taste. Therefore, it can lead to dull taste buds.
7. Gum Inflammation
Due to plaque and tartar, your gum may experience irritation and swelling. Some gum inflammation causes both breath and taste to be foul.
8. Medication
Taking some drugs can affect food taste. Hence, they may cause a metallic, bitter, or salty taste in your mouth. Also, this sense of taste will go back after you stop taking the medication.
9. Sjogren’s Syndrome
It refers to the immune system attacking the body parts by mistake. It attacks tear and salivary glands. This condition causes dry mouth and eyes. People with this syndrome are likely to have either altered or loss of taste.
10. Head or Ear Injuries
Head or ear injury may cause problems in taste and smell. It may result from polyps in the nasal or sinus cavities, hormonal or dental issues.
11. Lack of Certain Nutrients
Lack of vitamin B-12 and zinc affects the sense of taste. Deficiency of vitamin B-12 interferes with a normal sense of taste. While the lack of zinc causes changes in taste and appetite.
12. Nervous System Disorders
Disorders in the nervous system may cause a “no taste buds” feeling or an altered sense of taste. It affects how the nerves send messages to the body. With that, it may also affect organs that control taste.
13. COVID-19
This fatal virus has brought a big impact on the world. It brings respiratory disease. Symptoms of COVID-19 may vary from person to person. Some can carry the virus but do not show signs. Aside from symptoms like cough and shortness of breath, you may also lose your sense of smell or taste.
Loss of sense of tasting or smelling is not a common symptom in COVID-19 patients. Though it may show a mild case of the disease. The common are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Severe symptoms include chest pain and loss of speech.
Related Signs
1. Loss of Temperature Sensation
If you think that you have no taste buds functioning, see if you can feel the temperature of what you eat. This symptom and loss of taste may go together.
2. Swollen Tongue
The swollen tongue also links to loss of taste. It may occur as a result of allergy or infection.
3. Numb Tongue
If you feel tingling sensations on the tongue, you may also have an altered taste. It may occur due to damage to the nervous system.
If you think that you lost your sense of taste, talk to a doctor. He or she will help you identify the cause. As a result, you will undergo the proper treatment for your case.
