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Can aging cause loss of taste and smell?
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How does aging affect the taste of food?
Does aging affect your taste buds?
Why do I lose my taste and smell when I eat?
Sep 21, 2023 · Some loss of taste and smell is natural with aging, especially after age 60. But other factors can contribute to loss of taste and smell, including: Nasal and sinus problems, such as allergies, sinusitis or nasal polyps; Viral infections, including the common cold and the flu; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- Age-related Changes to Taste and Smell a Common Occurrence
Answer: A decrease in taste and smell commonly occurs with...
- Age-related Changes to Taste and Smell a Common Occurrence
- Overview
- How to get your taste back for various causes of loss
- COVID-19
- Upper respiratory infection
- Allergies, sinus problems
- Nasal polyps
- Certain medications
- Cancer treatment
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Nutritional deficiencies
You may lose your sense of taste or smell if you have certain medical conditions or as a side effect of medication. How to get your sense of taste back can depend on the underlying cause.
Your sense of taste and smell work together to make food enjoyable or warn you that it’s gone bad.
Every year, over 200,000 people seek care for taste or smell problems. These senses are so interwoven that sometimes, what seems to be the loss of taste is actually the loss of smell. True loss of taste (ageusia) is rare.
Many conditions can interfere with taste, but it usually returns when the cause is resolved. Loss of taste can be a sign of COVID-19 or another viral infection. Sometimes it lingers even after the infection has passed.
Depending on the cause, lack of taste may resolve on its own or by treating the cause. In the meantime, avoid the temptation to add extra sugar or salt to your food. Experiment with a variety of foods, herbs, and spices.
Change or loss of taste is commonly reported by people with COVID-19.
In an April 2021 study, researchers found that in a group of 200 people with mild to moderate COVID-19:
•7 percent lost their sense of taste (but not smell)
•4 percent lost their sense of smell and taste
•4.5 percent lost their sense of smell (but not taste)
Everybody who lost their taste regained it within 14 days. People who lost their sense of smell regained it within 21 days except for two people, who developed long-term loss of smell.
Any type of infection of the upper respiratory tract can affect your sense of taste. Upper respiratory tract infections include the common cold and influenza, which can cause nasal congestion, coughing, and sneezing. The flu can also cause fever.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), change or loss of taste or smell is more common with COVID-19 than the flu.
Cold and flu symptoms are treated with:
•rest
•antihistamines
•decongestants
Allergies and sinus infections can cause inflammation and congestion, which affects smell and taste. Sinus infections are treated with:
•nasal rinses or sprays
•OTC pain medications
•antibiotics
Nasal polyps are soft, painless bumps that grow in your nasal passages or sinuses. They’re caused by chronic inflammation associated with:
•allergies
•asthma
•recurring infection
•immune disorders
•drug sensitivities
Some medicines can alter or diminish your sense of taste. These include:
•psychotropic medications
•bladder medications
•antihistamines
•antibiotics
•cholesterol-lowering medications
Chemotherapy and radiation to the head or neck can alter or weaken your sense of taste. This usually clears up once you finish treatment. In the meantime, here are some other things you can try:
•Eat cold foods, which may be easier to taste than hot foods.
•Drink plenty of fluids.
•Brush your teeth before and after eating.
•Ask your doctor to recommend products that may help with dry mouth.
•Mints, gum, and using plastic utensils instead of metal can help with a temporary metallic taste.
People with dementia, including those with Alzheimer’s disease, can experience a decline in smell and taste. Other things that contribute to eating and nutritional difficulties include:
•medications
•trouble recognizing foods
•difficulty going through the steps of eating a meal
Certain nutritional deficiencies could minimize your sense of taste. For example, zinc is vital to your senses of taste and smell. You can probably already get enough zinc through a normal, varied diet. Zinc is found in chicken, red meat, fortified breakfast cereals, and many other foods.
Women need 8 milligrams a day and men need 11 milligrams. If you think you may have a zinc deficiency, talk with a doctor about your diet and whether you should take a supplement. Don’t take supplements without first speaking with a doctor.
Nov 10, 2021 · Like most parts of your body, your senses of smell and taste are also vulnerable to damage from chemicals, air pollution, illnesses, and other negative influences — all of which can accelerate the natural age-related decline.
- Stacey Colino
Mar 16, 2012 · Answer: A decrease in taste and smell commonly occurs with aging. But if you lose these senses suddenly or if you notice a significant change in your ability to smell and taste, see your doctor, as certain medications or an underlying medical problem could be to blame.
Aug 7, 2024 · Age: The loss of taste, and in particular smell, can decrease or change as you age. It’s a normal part of the aging process. Generally, about 2% of people have issues with smell, but about 25% of men and 11% of women in their 60s have a smell disorder.
Mar 9, 2022 · When you lose your sense of smell — due to age, a health problem or a medicine — foods can seem tasteless or bland. Losing taste and smell can be an early symptom of a COVID-19 infection. A complete loss of smell (anosmia) or loss of taste (ageusia) is rare.
What causes loss of taste? Causes of ageusia range from health conditions and medications to lifestyle-related things, like smoking cigarettes. Anything that interferes with the breakdown of food into chemical signals that your brain recognizes as specific flavors can impact your sense of taste.
