Ageusia - complete loss of taste.

General
1

Five years ago, during COVID-19, most people reported one common symptom: loss of smell or loss of taste.

Ageusia is the complete loss of taste. It is related to the taste buds and the nerves in the tongue. The person loses the taste of what they are eating or drinking and depends on the smell and texture of the food.

Ageusia is seen in people who are above 50 years of age. As age increases, taste buds reduce in number, and salivary secretion also decreases, which in turn is a reason for loss of taste. One in 1,000 people face this in their lives.

There are two more variations in loss of taste:

Hypogeusia - reduced taste sensation.

Dysgeusia - distorted taste sensation.

Causes of Ageusia:

  1. Hypertension
  2. Nasal congestion
  3. COVID-19, common cold, flu
  4. Oral health conditions
  5. Smoking
  6. Diabetes
  7. Damage to the facial nerve (chorda tympani branch) or glossopharyngeal nerve during head injury
  8. Radiation therapy
  9. Certain medications like antibiotics and antineoplastic drugs

Symptoms:

  1. Weight loss
  2. Malnutrition
  3. Loss of interest in food as no taste perception prevails
  4. Nutritional deficiencies
  5. Mental health disruption leading to depression

Diagnosis:

Ageusia can be diagnosed by proper history taking, examination of the patient, blood tests to check for deficiencies, CT or MRI, taste strips, and electrogustometry.

Treatment:

  1. Nutritional supplements for deficiencies like zinc deficiency
  2. Treating underlying medical conditions
  3. Quitting smoking
  4. Maintaining oral hygiene
  5. In case of nasal problems or flu, antihistamines can be taken

It is so difficult to manage life without taste when we have separate taste buds for six different tastes. Sometimes the taste returns after a short period of time, like in COVID-19.

Have you come across Ageusia in your practice?

MBH/PS