Ageusia (Loss of Taste)

Ageusia (pronounced “uh-GYOU-zee-uh”) is the complete loss of your sense of taste. That means you can’t detect flavors like sweet, sour, salty, bitter or meaty (umami). True ageusia — a complete loss of taste — is rare. It affects 1 or 2 out of 1,000 people. It’s much less common than other related taste disorders, like hypogeusia (a decreased sense of taste) or dysgeusia (a distorted, unpleasant perception of taste).

This condition takes the joy out of eating. More than that, it can have a significant impact on health and well-being.

Ageusia happens when something interferes with the process that turns the food you eat into chemical signals that your brain recognizes as specific flavors. This condition can affect anyone, but it’s most common in people over 50.

Symptoms of ageusia

With ageusia, you can’t distinguish any taste in foods or drinks. Without flavor, you focus on the texture of what you eat and drink. For example, eating salty chips may feel like you’re eating something bland and crunchy.

Ageusia causes

Your sense of taste relies on healthy taste buds and continuous communication between the nerves that carry taste signals to your brain. Many things can affect your taste buds or disrupt communication between your nerves and brain.

For example, smoking can damage your taste buds and affect your sense of taste. Other causes include infections, issues with your mouth and teeth, medications and nerve damage.

Infections

Bacterial and viral infections that can cause this condition include:

• COVID-19
• Sinus infection
• Common cold
• Influenza (flu)
• Strep throat

Issues with your mouth or teeth

Your sense of taste can be affected by:

• Gum (periodontal) disease
• Tongue inflammation (glossitis)
• Xerostomia (dry mouth)
• Sjögren’s syndrome
• Burning mouth syndrome

Nerve damage

Three cranial nerves support your sense of taste. Conditions that affect them include:

• Diabetes
• Bell’s palsy
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Stroke

Radiation therapy may damage these nerves and affect your sense of taste.

Medications

Hundreds of medications have loss of taste as a potential side effect, including:

• Antibiotics
• Antivirals
• Antifungals
• Antihistamines
• Antiseizure medications
• Tricyclic antidepressants
• Bronchodilators
• Chemotherapy medications

Issues like vitamin B12 deficiency and zinc deficiency can also cause this condition.

Complications of ageusia

Losing your taste can cause you to eat less or keep you from detecting when something is “off” in the food or drink you consume. It can lead to health problems like:

• Losing weight without trying
• Not getting enough nutrients
• Consuming spoiled foods or drink so you have food poisoning
• Experiencing mood changes and depression

How doctors diagnose this condition

Otolaryngologists (ENTs) diagnose taste disorders like ageusia. During a physical exam, they’ll review your medical history to see if any conditions, recent procedures or medications may be the cause. They may also recommend tests, including:

• Taste tests: During this test, you taste solutions that contain flavors that range from sweet and salty to sour and bitter. The solutions also come in different strengths. A provider may deliver the solution via a dropper, spray, tablet, taste strip or wafer.
• Imaging tests: Your provider may do CT scans or MRI scans to check for neurological issues that can affect your sense of test.
• Blood test: They may take a small sample of blood to check for vitamin deficiencies that can cause this condition.

How do I get my sense of taste back?

There are several steps you and your healthcare provider may take to restore your sense of taste. Your healthcare provider can:

• Treat the underlying condition: For example, they may recommend that you take antihistamines or decongestants to ease cold and flu symptoms. Likewise, antibiotics may cure a sinus infection that causes ageusia.
• Recommend smell retraining therapy (SRT): Your senses of taste and smell work together. That’s why your mouth waters and your stomach may growl when you get a whiff of something tasty. In SRT, you smell strong scents several times a day for several months to help your brain relearn how to smell.
• Recommend supplements: Some healthcare providers believe taking alpha-lipoic acid and CoQ10 supplements can help restore your sense of taste. These supplements are available over the counter. If you take prescription medication, talk to your provider before taking these supplements.

Ageusia from nerve damage may be an ongoing issue. In that case, your treatment may focus on making sure you get enough nutrition.

This condition affects your appetite. There are things you can do to trigger your appetite, including:

• Eating crunchy foods: Biting into a crisp apple or some chewy grains can stimulate your cranial nerves.
• Engaging your sense of smell: Savory scents may boost your appetite. Consider adding fresh herbs to food, like rosemary, basil or sage.
• Staying hydrated: Spit is an important part of taste. Staying hydrated helps your mouth make saliva.
• Supporting oral health: Gum disease may cause ageusia. Daily brushing and flossing can help reverse gum disease and restore your sense of taste.
• Getting enough vitamin B12 and zinc: Milk, fortified cereals and eggs are good sources of vitamin B12. Cheddar cheese, pumpkin seeds and turkey breast contain zinc.
• Switching medications: Your healthcare provider may be able to recommend medications that don’t affect your sense of taste.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Talk to a healthcare provider if you notice you can’t taste what you eat and drink. That’s especially important if you don’t have much appetite.

What can I expect if I have ageusia?

This condition is rarely permanent. Most things that cause it, like an infection, are temporary. For example, people who have ageusia as a symptom of COVID-19 usually recover in one to three weeks.

If you’ve been diagnosed with it, your healthcare provider can help you find ways to manage until you regain your sense of taste.