Ageusia is the condition in which people feel the loss of their sense of taste. The factors that are involved in causing ageusia can be certain medications, infections, nutritional deficiencies, and other factors.
Having no sense of taste is the possible symptom that denotes COVID-19. In most cases, you can restore your taste by taking proper treatment. In this condition, it makes it difficult for people to detect certain tastes like bitter, sweet, salty, and sour.
People of all ages can have a loss of sense of taste. But commonly, adults above the age of fifty years suffer from this issue. When we talk about true ageusia, it is a complete loss of your sense of taste. This condition is very rare.
Out of one thousand people, two or three people can have this issue. Ageusia is different from dysgeusia. Ageusia is a complete loss of taste and dysgeusia refers to the condition in which people perceive an unpleasant taste.
There are some other taste disorder like hypogeusia which is a decrease in the sense of taste and hypergeusia which is an increase in your sense of taste. But people can lose the sense of taste completely only in ageusia.
Symptoms
People who develop the condition of ageusia become unable to detect the taste of normal foods they eat. They can also have certain other symptoms that are given below.
- Oral health issues
- Allergies and high blood pressure
- A decrease in the desire to eat
- Nasal congestion
Causes
There are some other health issues that can lead to the loss of sense of taste. That’s why we cannot label the condition of sense of taste to ageusia only. These health conditions include:
- Strep throat and COVID-19
- Common cold and influenza
- Sinus infection and pharyngitis
- Gum and injuries to ear and head
Ageusia can also be associated with smoking, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, and diabetes. People with this issue can have poor nutrition, Sjogren’s syndrome, high blood pressure, and nutritional deficiencies. Dry mouth is also linked with ageusia.
Certain drugs that are used for the treatment of cancer, thyroid medication, Multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease are associated with loss of sense of taste. The duration of ageusia depends. Typically, symptoms of ageusia last until an individual gets proper treatment.
People who suffer from ageusia in COVID-19 usually take two to three weeks in recovery. If you notice the symptoms of ageusia, consult your doctor. Do not delay this problem because it can be associated with other health conditions.
Diagnosis
Usually, an ENT works to diagnose disorders of taste such as ageusia. They ask questions about the manifestations you have and review your medical and health history thoroughly. An ENT tries to determine if any medical condition is triggering the symptoms.
Tests To Diagnose Ageusia
Healthcare providers work to measure your taste functions limit to determine the range of ageusia. He or she may ask you to compare the taste of various substances.
Treatment
It is possible to treat the condition of ageusia. In most cases, treatment helps you to successfully recover your taste function. Recovery time is associated with the causes. You may feel better after using decongestants or antihistamines if the cause of ageusia is flu or cold.
If it’s because of infections, your doctor can recommend you antibiotics. Your healthcare provider helps you to take proper actions to overcome this condition. Once, you cope with the existing illness, your sense of taste recovers.
Sometimes you need to improve your lifestyle if you want to resolve the condition of ageusia. For example, smoking is the greater trigger that leads to loss of sense of taste. By quitting this habit, you can regain your sense of taste in two days.
Ramp the oral hygiene if your symptoms of ageusia are associated with gum disease. It helps you to recover from the ageusia quickly.
Prevention
Different conditions can cause side effects. You can say that ageusia is the side effect of certain medical conditions. It’s not always possible to prevent this condition but you can do certain things to decrease the risks of getting ageusia.
- Drink a lot of water to stay hydrated.
- Do not smoke.
- Try to not use tobacco products.
- Wash your hands properly in order to decrease the risks of getting infections.
- Floss teeth on daily basis.
- Visit your dentist on regular basis for cleaning and checkups.
