What should you know about loss of taste sensation?

Taste and smell work together, so food may seem bland when nasal congestion reduces your ability to smell. A common cold can produce this pattern through swelling and mucus in the nose. COVID-19 can also present with a change or loss of taste, sometimes with changes in smell; symptoms vary between people.

Other possibilities include dry mouth, inflammation or infection in the mouth, smoking, head injury, nerve disorders, and side effects from some medicines. Reduced taste is different from a complete absence of taste, and a metallic or otherwise altered taste is a separate sensation. The timing, whether smell changed too, and any new medicines can help guide an assessment.

Notice when the change began and whether it followed a cold, nasal blockage, mouth problem, illness, injury, or medicine change. Keep drinking fluids, maintain oral hygiene, and choose foods with contrasting textures or mild seasoning if eating feels unappealing. Avoid adding large amounts of salt or sugar simply to intensify flavour.

If you have respiratory symptoms, limit close contact with others until you know what is causing them and follow current local testing or public-health advice. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without discussing it with the prescriber. Arrange a medical review if the change does not improve as the associated illness settles, keeps returning, or affects eating, drinking, or your quality of life. Some people continue to experience taste changes after an infection, including Long COVID.

Seek urgent medical help if the loss of taste started after a head injury or occurs with facial weakness, confusion, severe headache, trouble speaking, or difficulty breathing. Prompt assessment is also sensible for a persistent mouth ulcer, a new lump, marked mouth pain, or difficulty swallowing.

Contact a clinician when the symptom is unexplained, lasts beyond the expected recovery from a cold, or comes with fever, persistent nasal symptoms, weight loss, or repeated vomiting. A clinician may examine your mouth and nose, review medicines and illnesses, and test smell or taste when appropriate. A loss of taste alone does not establish COVID-19 or another specific condition; the wider symptom pattern matters.

You could ask: Could nasal congestion, a mouth problem, or one of my medicines explain this change? Has my smell changed as well? Do I need testing for an infection? How long should I monitor the symptom, and what signs would mean I should return sooner?