What are the symptoms of 'taste disorder'? 4 important points for prevention

 

A change in taste and a sense of incongruity that "it is difficult to feel the taste" and "it tastes strange" appear "a taste disorder". Although it is a symptom that occurs frequently in the elderly, it can also occur in the younger generation due to the influence of stress or unhealthy eating. The number of people who develop taste disorders is on the rise in an aging society and a society prone to stress. This time, we will introduce the symptoms, causes, and examination subjects of taste disorders.

What is a taste disorder?

What kind of disease is a taste disorder?

The general symptoms of a loss of sensitivity to taste, inability to sense taste, or difficulty in understanding taste, are referred to as 'taste disorders'. It is the taste receptors called 'taste buds' that transmit the taste of the food you put in your mouth to the brain. When the number of these taste buds decreases, the sense of taste is diminished, resulting in taste disorders.

Most of the causes of taste abnormalities are due to decreased taste buds. However, there are rare cases of neurogenic taste disorders in which taste is not known due to nerve abnormalities due to brain tumors, trauma, or surgery.

taste disorder symptoms

What are the symptoms of a taste disorder?

Symptoms can be broadly divided into 'decreased taste' and 'already strong'. The following five types exist in the taste leg.

• sweetness
• acidity
• salty
• bitter
• umami

Decreased taste refers to a symptom in which this taste is diminished or not felt at all. You may become desensitized to just one particular taste, but in most cases all five senses will be desensitized. The liver is already a symptom of a taste that cannot be felt in the first place. For example, there is a symptom that there is always an 'astringent taste' in the mouth.

Causes of taste disorders

What are the causes of taste disorders?

There are still many unexplained causes of taste disorders. It is thought that not only a specific cause, but also several causes may affect each other in combination. The main causes identified at this time are as follows.

• old age
• undernourishment
• side effects of drugs
• party
• old age

What are some of the most common causes of taste disorders?

There are many disorders of taste that are caused by aging. In older people, the number of taste buds decreases with aging. In addition, the ability of taste buds to sense taste itself declines with age, so the elderly tend to suffer from taste disorders.

Do taste disorders not occur in young people?

Even in the younger generation, there are cases where taste disorders are caused by various factors such as stress and unhealthy eating.

undernourishment

Can you tell us more about the taste disorders caused by malnutrition?

Taste disorders may occur due to nutritional deficiencies caused by diet or biased eating habits. A nutrient called 'zinc' is essential for the metabolism of taste buds. Therefore, if the intake of zinc in the diet is insufficient, the taste bud may be abnormal and the taste may be affected.

Are nutritional deficiencies other than zinc unrelated?

In addition to zinc, insufficient iron intake can lead to 'iron-deficiency anemia', causing the tongue to become red and smooth, resulting in impaired taste. Taste disorders may precede the symptoms characteristic of iron deficiency anemia, such as drowsiness, malaise, or dizziness. In addition, 'vitamins' are involved in the absorption of iron. Therefore, you need to be careful not only with zinc and iron, but also with vitamin deficiencies. Insufficient intake of vitamins, especially 'vitamin B12', can cause abnormalities in the mucous membrane of the tongue and cause taste disorders. In addition, insufficient intake of vitamin B2 can cause symptoms such as stomatitis and glossitis, which can make it difficult to taste.

Etc

Are there any other causes besides age and malnutrition?

If you are taking medication to treat a medical condition, the side effect of the medication may also cause a loss of taste. There are many drugs that can cause taste disorders as a side effect, but the representative drugs include the treatment for the following diseases.

• diabetes
• High blood pressure
• rheumatoid arthritis
• Parkinson's disease
• peptic ulcer

In addition, taste disorders have been reported as a side effect of various drugs.

Can a taste disorder caused by a side effect of a drug get better if I stop taking the drug?

In many cases, the taste gradually improves with discontinuation of the drug. However, there are cases where taste disorders occur due to the disease itself, regardless of medication. In particular, it is known that there is a possibility that taste disorders may be combined in the following diseases.

• diabetes
• kidney disease
• diseases related to the tongue
• cold
• cancer
• otitis media
• mental illness

In addition, recently, there have been reports of a combination of decreased sense of smell and decreased taste due to the novel coronavirus infection.

The number of occurrences or sex differences of taste disorders

Is dysgeusia a rare symptom?

The number of occurrences of taste disorders was reported to be approximately 240,000 per year in a national survey in 2003. It is by no means a small number of people, but it can be said that it is a symptom that can occur to anyone.

Are there gender differences in the number of occurrences?

It is said that there are more women than men.

In particular, 'psychogenic taste disorder' is known to occur overwhelmingly in women in their 60s. Psychogenic taste disorders refer to those in which psychosomatic disorders, neuroses, depression, personality disorders, etc. are involved among taste disorders.

Examination subjects for taste disorders

If I suspect a taste disorder, which department should I see?

Treatment for taste disorders is centered on the following departments.

• Dentist
• Otorhinolaryngology
• medicine
• oral surgery

Nutritional conditions, such as zinc deficiency or iron deficiency, can be checked with blood tests. In addition, if a certain disease exists as the cause of the taste disorder, treatment of the disease itself that is the cause is indispensable.

For complications such as facial nerve palsy, you may need to see a neurosurgeon such as an MRI of the head.

If iron deficiency anemia is prolonged, there is also a taste abnormality due to glossitis, and as a severe example, it is possible to develop pica, which is a severe case of eating ice or green rust. After taking this into consideration, the appropriate department is selected.

How to treat taste disorders

What are the options for treating taste disorders?

When a zinc deficiency is diagnosed, drugs containing zinc are more often prescribed. In addition, iron is prescribed for iron deficiency, and vitamin supplements are prescribed for vitamin deficiency. For taste disorders for which a cause cannot be identified, herbal medicine may be considered. For taste disorders caused by malnutrition, you may see immediate improvement in symptoms by supplementing the missing nutrients.

Some zinc oral medications require caution when used in combination. Consult with your doctor or pharmacist in advance when using commercially available drugs. Also, for taste disorders caused by side effects of drugs, the taste returns by temporarily stopping the drug in most cases. However, stopping the medication at your own discretion carries risks. It is necessary to review, including changing medications, after consulting with your doctor.

What should I pay attention to in my lifestyle?

A daily diet is important to prevent taste disorders. Here are some things to keep in mind in your daily diet:

• eat a balanced diet
• Actively eat foods high in zinc and iron
• Increase iron absorption by consuming protein and vitamins at the same time
• Wet the mouth before a meal to make it easier to taste

organize

A decrease in the number of taste-transmitting taste buds results in taste disorders. Symptoms of taste disorders can be mainly divided into two types: 'decreased taste', in which it is difficult to sense taste, and 'already strong', in which abnormal taste is felt. There are many taste disorders that are caused by aging, but even in the younger generation, symptoms may appear due to stress or unhealthy eating. If you have symptoms of concern, such as “difficulty to taste,” “it tastes strange,” “the taste of food has changed from what it used to be,” or “the food has lost its taste,” consider prompt treatment.