Hello kumar,

Welcome to Healthcaremagic.com.

Disorders of taste and smell generally have been difficult to diagnose and treat, often because of a lack of knowledge and understanding of these senses and their disease states. An alteration in taste or smell may be a secondary process in various disease states, or it may be the primary symptom.

Much of what is perceived as a taste defect is truly a primary defect in olfaction (smell), which alters flavor. The components that comprise the sensation of flavor include the food's smell, taste, texture, and temperature. Each of these sensory modalities is stimulated independently to produce a distinct flavor when food enters the mouth.

Taste buds have a turnover of approximately 10 days. That means, every 10 days you have all new taste buds.

Endocrine disorders, such as Diabetes melletus, are one mechanism that can involve taste and olfactory disorders. Normal aging produces taste loss as well.

You state your mother takes medication for her diabetes. Does she regularly check her blood sugar levels? If so, are they in the appropriate range? Before eating, her blood sugar should be 120 or less. Two hours after eating, her blood sugar should be around 140. Her medication may need to be adjusted.

Correcting endocrine disorders with the appropriate medication may improve the taste disorder.

You may need to see your family physician to initiate a workup for her problem.

Be well,
Dr. Kimberly