Did you know that our sense of taste is broken up into five flavor categories? We experience sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and savory taste profiles – at least when our taste buds are working as they should.
However, you might start to notice that certain foods (or all foods) aren’t as tasty as they used to be. You might lose the ability to taste altogether, and this can be alarming. It can impact your enjoyment of eating.
How does this happen? Is it permanent? What causes our taste buds to fail? Here are a few things you should know.
Taste and Smell
In case you didn’t know, our sense of taste is linked to our sense of smell. When your sense of smell is impacted, it can mess with your ability to taste, even though issues with taste don’t necessarily affect your olfactory sense. Your problem may not be your taste buds at all if you notice that both smell and taste seem to be impaired.
If you’re suffering from a cold, flu, allergies, or sinus or throat infections that impact your airways, there’s a good chance both your sense of smell and taste will be impacted. Often, these symptoms are temporary and will disappear once you are well again. In rare cases, impaired smell or taste may last longer or even be permanent.
Injuries
When taste buds are damaged, your sense of taste will almost certainly suffer, so if you experience trauma, such as an injury or burn to the surface of the tongue, don’t be surprised if taste is dulled. In some cases, taste buds will heal and fully recover. If trauma is severe, dulled taste may be permanent.
Drugs
If you use tobacco products, they can definitely affect your sense of taste. You can also experience problems if you are deficient in certain vitamins like B-12 and zinc. You could also have some issues with taste if you take certain medications, such as thyroid or cancer treatments. Talk to your doctor and/or dentist about the connection between drugs and a dulled sense of taste.
Oral Health
If you suffer from poor oral health, a dulled sense of taste is a common symptom. Serious oral health concerns like gingivitis and periodontitis can result in a dulled sense of taste, among other issues.
If you experience dulled sense of taste and you’re not sure why, schedule a dental appointment to check the condition of your mouth and consult with a professional for diagnosis and treatment options. In some cases, swift action can reduce the risk of lasting damage.
