Taste Disorder

About the Symptom

Abnormalities in the sense of taste can be a change in taste (dysgeusia) for example, salty items may taste sour instead. It can also be a partial or complete loss of sense of taste. Not to be confused with loss of sense of smell that can also alter taste. The taste sense is limited to sour, salty, sweet, and bitter.

When to See a Doctor

Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms

• Problems with taste

Possible Causes

Generally, Taste disorder can be related to:

• Morning Sickness

  Morning sickness, also known as nausea and vomiting in pregnancy is a common condition. It can occur throughout the day despite its name. For most women, it can start from before 9 weeks in pregnancy and typically resolves at the end of the first trimester (14 weeks). For some women, it can continue further and in few cases persist throughout the pregnancy.

• Dissociative Disorder

  Dissociative disorder is a mental disorder that involves experiencing a disconnection and lack of continuity between thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions, and identity. People with dissociative disorder escape reality in ways that are involuntary and unhealthy, causing problems with functioning in everyday life.

• Hyperemesis Gravidarum

  A severe form of morning sickness, where patients have significant vomiting and are typically unable to keep much food or fluids down. They can lose weight and become very dehydrated. The exact cause is unclear, but it's thought to be related to levels of pregnancy hormones (β-hCG and estrogen). Early treatment of morning sickness can help prevent progression to this severe form. There is typically no harm to the developing baby from this condition, but it is important to maintain normal hydration and weight in the mom.

• Vitamin B12 Deficiency
• Trigeminal Neuralgia
• Sjogren Syndrome
• Sinusitis
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Zinc or Biotin Deficiency

Related Serious Diseases

Sometimes, Taste disorder may be related to these serious diseases:

• Bell's Palsy

  Characterized by sudden weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles, Bell's palsy is usually temporary and occurs on one side of the face. The exact cause is unknown but is believed to be due to swelling and inflammation of the nerve controlling the facial muscles or viral infection. Anyone can be affected by this condition, but pregnant women, those with lung infections, and those with a family history of the condition are at higher risk.

Doctor's Diagnostic Questions

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:

• Have you experienced any changes in your sense of taste?
• When did you first notice changes in your taste?
• Have you experienced impaired taste buds in the past?
• How has your impaired taste changed since it started?

Find Similar Symptoms

References

• Dysgeusia - Cleveland Clinic

  https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22047-dysgeusia

• Jafari A, Alaee A, Ghods K. The etiologies and considerations of dysgeusia: A review of literature. J Oral Biosci. 2021 Dec;63(4):319-326. doi: 10.1016/j.job.2021.08.006. Epub 2021 Sep 3. PMID: 34487857.

  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34487857/