Loss of taste in food (lack of taste for sweet, salty)

• Published by: Laima Jansons

Loss of taste is a disease that is accompanied by disruption of the taste buds . It can be short-term - after eating too hot or cold food, or long-term, and this already signals problems with internal organs:

1. ageusia is a pathological process accompanied by a complete loss of taste perception ;
2. hypogeusia is a disease in which there is a partial loss of taste ;
3. Dysgeusia is a pathology that is characterized by distortion of taste sensations and changes in perception.

Causes of complete loss of taste

The main factor in the complete loss of taste for sweetness or salt is long-term depressive and stressful conditions . Other ageusia factors include:

1. infectious lesions of the nervous system pathways;
2. inflammation of the lingual nerve or chorda tympani, accompanied by neuritis of the facial nerve;
3. damage to the back of the tongue, which leads to neuritis of the glossopharyngeal nerve;
4. pathologies of the medulla oblongata;
5. inflammation of the vagus nerve.

This is interesting! In the human body there are significantly more bitter receptors than others. This is due to the fact that most toxic substances have a bitter and pungent taste.

Diseases in which there is a complete or partial loss of taste

1. Neuritis of the facial nerve or inflammatory damage to the nerve that is responsible for facial muscles. In addition to loss of taste, the patient experiences weakening of the facial muscles and asymmetry . The patient cannot smile or frown, and the process of chewing food is difficult.
2. Facial nerve paresis or paralysis is a pathology of the nervous system that occurs due to an infection of the upper respiratory tract. The pathology is accompanied by impaired taste perception and facial asymmetry .
3. Acute viral hepatitis is an infectious lesion of the liver, as a result of which taste perception is impaired . The main symptoms of the disease are jaundice, diarrhea, vomiting and loss of appetite .
4. Sjögren's syndrome is an autoimmune disorder that is accompanied by a decrease in secretion production from the salivary and lacrimal glands. Dryness in the nasopharynx, burning in the eyes and loss of taste are symptoms of this disease.
5. ARVI - viral damage to the taste buds, damage to the nerve endings of the receptors responsible for taste, nasal congestion contribute to partial loss of taste . Normalization of taste perception is achieved after suppression of the virus in the body.

Hydrogen sulfide taste

Such an unpleasant taste, like the taste of a rotten egg, suggests the presence of gastritis or a peptic ulcer caused by Helicobacter in your stomach, which can be detected by probing.

This can also signal stagnation of food in the stomach and the process of fermentation and rotting. Another taste of hydrogen sulfide may indicate a narrowing of the outlet of the stomach in the event of post-ulcer scars and tumors.

Therefore, in isolated cases, you can take an enzyme tablet to improve the digestion process, but in case of repeated signals, you cannot do without a doctor. And the sooner you meet him, the better.

Causes of partial loss of taste

Conventionally, the tongue can be divided into four parts, each of which is responsible for the perception of a certain taste.

Photo 1: The tip of the tongue is responsible for the sensation of sweet taste, the middle - for salty, the back of the tongue perceives bitter, and the edges of the tongue are responsible for sour sensations. Impaired perception is associated with various pathological processes in different parts of the tongue. Source: flickr (“R☼Wεnα”).

Sweet taste is lost

Loss of sweet taste can occur due to an inflammatory process at the tip of the tongue, a burn, or injury to this area. Disturbances in the papillae of the tongue, pathologies of nerve impulses to the brain are also factors in reducing the sensation of sweetness.

If you don't feel the salty taste

A weakening of the sensation of salty taste or its complete loss indicates injury to the middle part of the tongue. Bacterial and fungal infections (candidiasis) affect the tissues where taste buds are located .

Loss of salty taste perception is often caused by heavy smoking , which causes the taste buds to atrophy. Malignant neoplasms in the brain provoke ageusia or hypogeusia of salty taste, since the brain cannot recognize the incoming impulse.

Loss of sweet and salty taste

There are also several reasons that provoke the loss of sweet and salty taste at the same time:

1. pathologies of the thyroid gland;
2. long-term use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, antihistamines, anticonvulsants;
3. hypovitaminosis (especially vitamin B12);
4. lack of zinc in the body.

Partial loss of taste (sweet or salty) is often noted in patients suffering from epileptic seizures . Also common factors of hypogeusia are:

1. changes in the deep parts of the temporal lobe of the brain, which is accompanied by mental disorders and schizophrenia;
2. neuritis of the fifth or seventh pair of cranial nerves;
3. damage to the brain stem.

Diseases of the nervous system and blood vessels

In rare cases, the appearance of a salty taste in the mouth can be caused by disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system and blood circulation, namely:

• cerebral ischemia;
• epilepsy;
• vascular atherosclerosis;
• thrombosis;
• high blood pressure;
• hemorrhagic stroke.

The development of a benign or malignant tumor in the brain or near nerve endings and roots often leads to disruption of the sense of touch and taste buds, which can result in an unusual taste in the mouth. Only a doctor can identify the exact cause through an extensive examination of the patient’s body.

How to treat loss of taste

To quickly restore your sense of taste, you should consult a specialist to diagnose the cause of the disease. Depending on the factor contributing to the loss of taste, appropriate treatment is prescribed:

1. Dryness in the mouth, accompanied by insufficient secretion of saliva, will be eliminated by drugs that help moisturize the oral mucosa. For this purpose, artificial saliva preparations are prescribed - Salivart, Mouth Kote.
2. In addition to medications, you can use mouth rinses . They not only moisturize the mucous membrane, but also have an antibacterial effect.
3. If the loss of taste is associated with fungal infections of the mouth , drugs for candidiasis are prescribed - Clotrimazole solution, Decamine ointment.
4. When diagnosing a lack of Zinc and vitamin B12 in the body, Zincteral, Berocca, and intramuscular injections of cyanocobalamin are prescribed. Additionally, multivitamin complexes may be prescribed.
5. restore taste perception . The leaves of peppermint, lemon balm and motherwort have a sedative effect and eliminate the main cause of pathology - neurosis. When the oral cavity is infected with a bacterial or fungal nature, rinses made from chamomile flowers, calendula and oak bark are used.
6. To increase the spiciness, you need to add spices to your food such as cloves, cinnamon, mustard and lemon.

Photo 2: Regular cleaning of the surface of the tongue reduces the risk of loss of taste. Source: flickr (Gabriella Yazickr).

Oral hygiene

A common cause of a salty taste in the mouth is poor oral hygiene. If a person does not brush his teeth well enough, if plaque forms, all this contributes to the development of pathological microflora, the waste products of which will give this unpleasant salty taste.

Also, the appearance of taste is influenced by the presence of an infectious process in the oral cavity - the formation of tartar, fistulas, chronic tonsillitis.

Taste of illness. How to determine your diagnosis by the taste in your mouth Read more

Read also: Why are we drawn to spicy foods?

Homeopathic treatment for loss of taste

Homeopathic treatment differs from traditional treatment by increased efficiency and minimal negative impact on the human body . The homeopathic doctor individually selects the name of the drug, dosage and method of use.

Xerostomia

Xerostomia is a symptom that can accompany dehydration and a number of other diseases and conditions. With xerostomia, the composition and quality of saliva changes: it becomes more viscous, sticky, with a salty taste and even bitter. Everything will depend on the cause of xerostomia, the duration of its existence, as well as a number of other factors and circumstances.

Read also: Why does it suck in the stomach?

Treatment depends on the underlying cause, which only a doctor can determine. It is worth remembering that xerostomia can be an early sign of diabetes, as well as a consequence of bad habits: smoking, alcohol abuse, drug use, when the patient breathes through the mouth, etc.

Dehydration

When the body loses too much fluid, such as after severe diarrhea or vomiting, saliva thickens and becomes salty due to the increased concentration of mineral salts in it.

What to do?

To prevent dehydration, doctors recommend drinking 1.5 to 2 liters of fluid per day. In case of severe dehydration, special solutions are prescribed to restore the water-salt balance.

Sour-salty taste

This symptom may be a warning of chronic or acute kidney failure, a condition in which the kidneys do not work properly and the body cannot eliminate toxins from the body. In severe cases of renal failure, a taste appears and the smell of the mouth changes. You may smell urine.

In addition to these symptoms, weakness, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting warn of the development of chronic renal failure and irreversible damage to the body. The person becomes drowsy, headaches and muscle pain occur.

Chronic renal failure

A urologist can diagnose kidney failure. To do this, you will need to take blood and urine tests and examine your kidneys. In some cases, you even need to do a biopsy.

Infections

Caries, gingivitis - each such infection without proper treatment can progress and lead to serious complications and consequences that affect many organs and systems.

With serious gum diseases such as periodontitis, patients are concerned about the following symptoms:

• tooth mobility;
• the formation of pathological gum pockets and purulent discharge from them;
• pain, burning and other unpleasant sensations in the gums;
• persistent bad breath;
• formation of massive dental plaque.

A fungal infection, which is characterized by the appearance of a white cheesy coating on the mucous membrane, can also provoke a salty taste in the mouth. With moderate and severe infection, patients may complain of a change in the taste of their usual food and the appearance of off-flavors.

HPV, the human papillomavirus, can infect the mouth and cause a strange taste in the mouth. If the diagnosis was not carried out on time and there is no treatment, this can cause a metallic and salty taste in the mouth.

Salty taste in mouth

This is the first sign of dehydration. When a person drinks little water or takes diuretics, the fluid in the body thickens. It’s the same with saliva – salty sodium chloride accumulates in it. Or maybe you're just eating too much salty food - chips, crackers, salty sticks?

If the problem is related to dehydration, drink at least 1.5-2 liters of clean water per day, and in the heat - another 1 liter. At the same time, give up alcohol, including beer. Avoid drinking coffee, tea, energy drinks and weight loss shakes. All of these drinks have diuretic properties.

Very often, a salty taste occurs when the salivary glands are blocked. Then you will need to visit a dentist.

A salty taste in the mouth is a sign of dehydration.