How to treat loss of taste

Taste may seem absent, weaker, or altered. A blocked nose can reduce flavour because smell contributes strongly to how food is experienced. A common cold and COVID-19 can present with loss of taste; some people notice the change after the infection has otherwise improved. Ongoing symptoms may also relate to medicines, mouth problems, nerve conditions, or inflammation, so the history and examination matter.

Arrange a clinical review if the change is sudden, persistent, or unexplained. Your clinician may review medicines, inspect your mouth and nose, and consider testing based on your symptoms and exposure history. Manage nasal congestion only with advice suited to you, and avoid smoking or irritants. Choose foods with varied textures, temperatures, and colours; use herbs or mild seasonings if they are safe for you. Check food dates carefully and make sure smoke and gas alarms work, because taste loss can remove warning cues.

Seek urgent help for trouble breathing, confusion, severe weakness, or inability to keep fluids down. Contact a clinician promptly if taste loss follows a head injury, occurs with facial weakness or other new neurological symptoms, or comes with mouth sores, swelling, or difficulty swallowing. Arrange follow-up when it does not begin improving or is affecting eating, weight, or your enjoyment of food.

Ask what causes are most relevant to your symptoms, whether a medicine could be contributing, and which examinations or tests are useful. Ask how to maintain nutrition, whether smell training is appropriate, and when you should return if taste does not recover.