Has the taste of food changed? Let's talk about dysgeusia

You may recall that during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people lost their sense of taste and smell. But for some, instead of losing their taste completely, the taste of what they eat and drink began to change and become distorted. Imagine, when you have your favorite food in your mouth, it just tastes bitter or like something rotten. Sometimes, even when you haven't eaten anything, you just have a strange metallic taste in your mouth. That's what we call dysgeusia in medicine. Since this is a bit of a disturbing experience, let's talk about it all in simple terms today.

Why does the taste in my mouth change like this? (Reasons)

There is not one single cause for this change in taste in the mouth, but many factors can contribute to it. Some are simple things, but sometimes it can also be a symptom of another disease. Let's take a look at the main causes.

How do you recognize that you have Dysgeusia? (Symptoms)

The main symptom of this condition is a loss of taste. You can experience it in different ways.

• The foods you used to enjoy now taste bad and rotten .
• Even after eating sweet and salty foods, you can't really taste those flavors.
• Many foods taste bitter .
• Even when you're not eating or drinking anything, there's always an unpleasant, metallic, bitter, or maybe even sweet taste in your mouth .

How do you find this, Doctor?

When you see a doctor with these symptoms, he or she will first ask you about your complete medical history . This means that they will ask about other medical conditions you have, the medications you take, and your habits (such as smoking). They will then perform a physical examination, especially of your mouth, tongue, and throat. Sometimes, they may also order other specialized tests to help determine the exact cause.

• Experiments that compare tastes using different chemicals .
• Tests where chemicals are applied to different parts of the tongue to see if they can taste.

These tests are the ones that will determine exactly whether this is a taste problem, a smell problem, or something else.

What are the treatments for this?

Treatment for dysgeusia depends directly on the cause . The doctor will first try to find the underlying cause of the taste change and treat it.

• If there is a vitamin deficiency , vitamin supplements will be given.
• If you have a side effect from a medication , your doctor may be able to switch you to a more appropriate medication. Never stop or change your medication without first asking your doctor.
• If you have a condition like diabetes , thyroid, or kidney disease , the most important thing is to control that disease well.
• If there is an infection in the mouth , antibiotics or other medications may be given to restore taste.
• If you are a smoker , you can see a big difference by cutting down on smoking or quitting completely.

How to manage this condition with food and drink?

There are things you can do to maintain your appetite during treatment.

• Choose dishes that are very simple and have few ingredients , because mixing too many ingredients can cause the flavors to become mixed together and taste unpleasant.
• Reduce your intake of spicy, sweet, and preservative-laden foods . These can worsen symptoms.
• Keep your mouth clean. Brush your teeth well and clean your tongue.
• Drink plenty of water.

Questions to ask your doctor

If you suspect you have this condition, don't forget to ask these questions when you go to see the doctor.

• "Doctor, is this change in my sense of taste due to a problem with my sense of smell, or a problem with my sense of taste?"
• "Could the medications I'm taking be causing this?"
• "Could this be a symptom of another disease?"
• "Will taking vitamin supplements help?"
• "What else can I do to get my taste back?"

These questions will help you gain a better understanding of your situation. Change in taste in the mouth, dysgeusia sinhala, bitter taste in the mouth, metallic taste in the mouth, loss of taste, taste on the tongue, tongue diseases