Norma looked forward to Thanksgiving dinner at her daughter Gina’s home every year. She loved the smell of the turkey and all the fixings. She couldn’t wait to eat all of it. This year it didn’t smell like Thanksgiving. When Norma ate the holiday food, she felt let down. It wasn’t as tasty as she remembered. No one else seemed to notice, but Norma wondered what might be wrong. Could her senses be the problem?
Did you know that your sense of smell and taste are connected? As you get older, these senses can change, and, like Norma, you may find that certain foods aren’t as flavorful as they used to be. Changes in smell or taste can also be a sign of a larger problem.
There are tiny taste buds inside your mouth on your tongue, in your throat, even on the roof of your mouth. What we call flavor is based on five basic tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and savory. Along with how it tastes, how food smells is also part of what makes up its flavor.
Some
loss of taste and smell is natural with aging (especially
after age 60). Loss of taste and smell can have a significant impact on
quality of life often leading to decreased appetite and poor nutrition, which can lead to
issues like weight loss, malnutrition (not getting the calories, protein,
carbohydrates,
vitamins, and
minerals
you need from the food), social isolation, and depression. If necessary, your doctor might recommend consulting an
allergist, an ear, nose and throat specialist (otolaryngologist), a
neurologist, or other specialist.
Factors
that can contribute to a loss of taste and smell include:
·
Certain
medications (including beta blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors)
·
Cigarette smoking
·
Cocaine snorted through
the nose
·
Dental
problems
·
Diabetes
·
Exposure to radiation
therapy for head or neck cancer
·
Head injury
·
High blood pressure
·
Hormone changes
·
Nasal
and sinus problems (such as allergies, sinusitis or nasal polyps)
·
Nervous system diseases
such as: Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease, and Multiple sclerosis
·
Obesity
·
Poor nutrition
The most common smell and taste disorders are:
·
Ageusia is a loss of the sense of taste.
·
Anosmia is a loss of the sense of smell.
·
Hypogeusia is the reduced ability to taste sweet, sour, bitter, or
salty things.
·
Hyposmia is the reduced ability to smell.
Smell disorders can be dangerous. They make you
less able to notice things like fire, poisonous fumes, leaking gas, or spoiled
food and drinks. Taste disorders can harm the immune system and worsen other
health conditions.
If you’re having trouble smelling and tasting your food, try adding color and texture to make your food more interesting. For example, try eating brightly colored vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and tomatoes. If your diet allows, flavor your food with a little butter, olive oil, cheese, nuts, or fresh herbs like sage, thyme, or rosemary. To put some zing in your food, add mustard, hot pepper, onions, garlic, ginger, lemon or lime juice. Choose foods that look good to you.
“Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles, and all the years you have lived.” (Helen Keller) [i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“How Smell and Taste Change as You Age” by National
Institute on Aging
· “Is loss of taste and smell normal with aging?” By
Paul Y. Takahashi
·
“Smell
and Taste Disorders” by Cedars-Sinai
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