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What Causes Loss Of Taste And Smell?
Question: What causes loss of taste and smell? This has happened in the last few months. Aside from diabetes controlled with medication, I am in good general health.
Brief Answer:
Several causes, often nasal/sinus infections, less often neurological.
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thanks for using HCM for your health related questions.
Loss of taste and smell are often related to each other. Because the brain integrates the information acquired from them for a complex analysis of taste, often it turns out that they are not both affected but mainly it is an involvement of the sense of smell which secondarily affects complex taste.
The causes can be many. At times can be certain drugs, but not those taken for diabetes and you don't mention other ones. Other times can also be a question of nutritional deficiencies or exposure to toxic substances.
More often though the main culprit is involvement of the nasal and oral airways like by sinusitis, polyps or several other infections of the nasal or oral cavity. So you should be checked for nasal discharge or other signs involving mucous membranes like dryness, patches, vesicles etc.
If that is not the case then neurological conditions should be considered too, and a neurological evaluation is in order, smell could be affected by diseases like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease (usually have other signs like slowing of movement, tremor for Parkinson's and memory impairment for Alzheimer's) or benign tumor like meningeoma involving the olfactory (smell) nerve. A brain MRI might be performed.
At the end of the day if no other cause is found, your diabetes is also a rare cause as well.
I hope to have been of help. I am at your disposal for further questions.
Several causes, often nasal/sinus infections, less often neurological.
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thanks for using HCM for your health related questions.
Loss of taste and smell are often related to each other. Because the brain integrates the information acquired from them for a complex analysis of taste, often it turns out that they are not both affected but mainly it is an involvement of the sense of smell which secondarily affects complex taste.
The causes can be many. At times can be certain drugs, but not those taken for diabetes and you don't mention other ones. Other times can also be a question of nutritional deficiencies or exposure to toxic substances.
More often though the main culprit is involvement of the nasal and oral airways like by sinusitis, polyps or several other infections of the nasal or oral cavity. So you should be checked for nasal discharge or other signs involving mucous membranes like dryness, patches, vesicles etc.
If that is not the case then neurological conditions should be considered too, and a neurological evaluation is in order, smell could be affected by diseases like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease (usually have other signs like slowing of movement, tremor for Parkinson's and memory impairment for Alzheimer's) or benign tumor like meningeoma involving the olfactory (smell) nerve. A brain MRI might be performed.
At the end of the day if no other cause is found, your diabetes is also a rare cause as well.
I hope to have been of help. I am at your disposal for further questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Can this condition be reversed or improved? Which specialist should I consult? I will check if this problem is included in my medical care program.
Thank you for your guidance.
Thank you for your guidance.
Brief Answer:
Depends on the cause.
Detailed Answer:
Since there are several possible causes, whether it is reversable depends on the cause. If it is a sinus, nasal or oral infection which as I said are the most common causes it can well be reversable with treatment. If on the other hand it is as a result of a chronic neurodegenerative disease like Parkinson or Alzheimer, or diabetes then it's unlikely.
Regarding which specialist, well if it has to be a specialist then an ENT (ear, nose, throat) specialist, followed by a neurologist if ENT finds nothing wrong. But since the causes can be diverse, I find it more reasonable to be checked by your general practitioner first (I am guessing also more probable to be included in your medical care program) and if he finds accompanying signs indicating the nature of the cause, he will point you to the corresponding specialist if necessary.
I hope things will work out for the best.
Depends on the cause.
Detailed Answer:
Since there are several possible causes, whether it is reversable depends on the cause. If it is a sinus, nasal or oral infection which as I said are the most common causes it can well be reversable with treatment. If on the other hand it is as a result of a chronic neurodegenerative disease like Parkinson or Alzheimer, or diabetes then it's unlikely.
Regarding which specialist, well if it has to be a specialist then an ENT (ear, nose, throat) specialist, followed by a neurologist if ENT finds nothing wrong. But since the causes can be diverse, I find it more reasonable to be checked by your general practitioner first (I am guessing also more probable to be included in your medical care program) and if he finds accompanying signs indicating the nature of the cause, he will point you to the corresponding specialist if necessary.
I hope things will work out for the best.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
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