HomeHealth articlesloss of taste sensationWhat Are Chemosensory Taste Disorders?

Conditions Associated With Loss of Taste Sensation

Verified dataVerified data
0

3 min read

Share

Some underlying medical conditions can cause aberrations or loss of taste. Read the article to learn about the disorders and their pathophysiologies.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Samarth Mishra

Published At November 9, 2022
Reviewed AtAugust 1, 2023

What Are the Terminologies of Taste Disorder?

The terms ageusia (complete loss of taste), hypogeusia (partial loss of taste), and dysgeusia (distortion of taste) are common clinical terms that are characteristic of various disorders associated with the taste sensation. Though there can be potential aberrations in taste in some individuals associated with abnormal stimulation within the central nervous system. Such aberrations are likely to be only temporary, without any clinical symptoms. However, this may not be the case when the patient experiences aberrations or total or partial loss in the taste transduction pathways frequently. These cyclic events may be linked to several systemic and local diseases, which may impact the taste receptors of the tongue.

Why Are Chemosensory Diseases Linked to Olfactory Dysfunction?

Taste disturbances stem mainly from chemosensory diseases that affect not only taste but also smell perception. Olfactory dysfunction can be a predisposition in individuals complaining of frequent taste aberrations. Similarly, numerous other health conditions ranging from oral pathologies, diseases of the salivary glands, upper respiratory tract infections, radiation therapy in the head and neck region, sino-nasal diseases, and traumatic conditions of the orofacial cavity, the paranasal sinuses and the head may also be underlying causative factors for chemosensory diseases affecting taste and smell.

Both sensory dysfunctions are often interlinked in human beings. These chemosensory diseases mainly affect individuals experiencing abnormal taste sensations because of the interlinking of olfactory dysfunction and loss of perceptivity. This can make the individual not only lose the appreciation for the flavors of food but also further lose the ability to detect situations like leaks, fumes, spoiled food, etc.

It is extremely important that the oral clinician recognizes the chief complaint of patients who suffer from a lack of proper taste perceptivity or chemosensory disorders impacting taste so that a timely diagnosis and treatment plan can be formulated to attain a long-term fair or good prognosis.

Which Conditions Are Associated With Loss of Taste Perception?

The common causes of altered or aberrated or lost taste sensation are:

  • Sjogren's Syndrome: Dry mouth or xerostomia, a characteristic feature of this syndrome, predisposes the patient to significantly reduced taste perception, even for basic tastes. This occurs due to issues within the stimulus transport mechanisms that involve taste receptors on the tongue. This is caused by primary pathologies that impact salivary glands, and the patients usually have reduced taste sensations, frequently affecting their ability to enjoy food.

  • Individuals With Removed Salivary Glands: Many local malignancies or extended salivary pathologic conditions that necessitate partial or complete gland removal may compromise the taste buds' structural integrity, resulting in reduced or altered taste sensation.

  • Xerostomia or Dry Mouth: Apart from Sjogren's syndrome, dry mouth in itself may result from systemic or local oral pathology affecting salivary flow. The reduced salivary flow in such individuals produces a marked effect on taste perception as loss or altered sensation of taste.

  • Vitamin A Deficiencies: The tongue may get extensively keratinized at the region of the taste buds or in the adjacent epithelial or glandular due to vitamin A deficiencies. Neurophysiologic studies show a significant reduction of taste perception because of the blockage of taste pores with keratin plugs. Another hypothesis suggests that the neural response of the chorda tympani nerve to tongue stimulation, particularly with salt, can be affected the most by Vitamin A deficiency.

  • Epilepsy: Patients suffering from epilepsy or who suffer from parietal, temporal or temporoparietal seizures commonly report a gustatory loss or altered taste sensations. These individuals are also prone to developing gustatory hallucinations wherein the taste experienced may be commonly reported as bitter or unpleasant.

  • Head and Neck Irradiation: In patients with a history of radiation therapy, it indirectly results in xerostomia or reduced salivary flow that translates into reduced or altered taste. Research commonly implicates conventional radiation therapy as a cause of chemosensory taste disturbances.

  • Malignancies or Cancers: Clinical research demonstrates that anorexia or loss of appetite accompanied by weight loss is a very common clinical feature in most malignant patients. Anorexia may be linked with the chemosensory disturbances of taste and smell in these individuals. This may also explain the reason why there is an eventual loss of appetite due to altered taste transduction.

  • Systemic Drug Therapies: Taste sensitivity may be frequently altered in individuals on systemic drug therapies because they may interfere with the central taste relay via neural transmission.

  • Zinc Deficiency: Recent research has also implicated that individuals suffering from zinc deficiency are prone to loss of taste and smell or olfactory and taste dysfunctionalities.

  • Burning Mouth Syndrome: Patients affected by burning mouth syndrome are mostly post-menopausal women presenting with altered taste and intraoral pain. These apparent aberrations of taste and changes in sensory perception of the oral cavity would be related to a central or peripheral dysfunction of afferent nerve fibers.

  • Family Dysautonomia: This is an autosomal recessive genetic condition that has a familial linkage with a complete clinical reduction in taste perception. The characteristic features are smooth tongues with decreased taste papillae that make them unable to appreciate or even possess the sensation of taste.

Conclusion

To conclude, chemosensory diseases or disorders of taste need to be analyzed by the oral surgeon or dentist for any underlying local or systemic etiology. A multidisciplinary approach, coordinated with the physician or the systemic specialist, is required to deal with the patient's clinical symptoms.

Dr. Achanta Krishna Swaroop
Dr. Achanta Krishna Swaroop

Dentistry

Tags:

loss of taste sensation
Community Banner Mobile
By subscribing, I agree to iCliniq's Terms & Privacy Policy.

Source Article ArrowMost popular articles

Do you have a question on

loss of taste sensation

Ask a doctor online

*guaranteed answer within 4 hours

Disclaimer: No content published on this website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice or treatment by a trained physician. Seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with questions you may have regarding your symptoms and medical condition for a complete medical diagnosis. Do not delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this website. Read our Editorial Process to know how we create content for health articles and queries.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. iCliniq privacy policy