Smell & Taste Problems
What causes smell & taste disorders?
Taste and smell disorders are closely related and common conditions that effect the chemo-sensation system and may develop as a result of:
- Age (sense of smell declines after age 60)
- Gender (women generally can smell more accurately than men)
- Upper respiratory infections
- Injury or trauma to the head or nose
- Polyps in the sinus or naval cavity
- Hormonal disturbances
- Dental problems
- Tobacco smoke
- Radiation therapy, especially for the head and neck
How are smell & taste problems treated?
Treatment of the inability to smell or taste depends on Dr. Lieberman’s diagnosis of the underlying cause. While the disorder itself is not generally serious, it can affect your daily life. Depending on the cause, treatments may range from simple life changes to surgery.
For example, if a medicine is causing the loss of the ability to taste or smell, discontinuing the medicine, if possible, often leads to a restoration of the ability to smell or taste.
In some cases, especially those involving a respiratory infection or a seasonal allergy, the sense of taste and smell return after the disease has disappeared.
If nasal polyps are found to be the cause of the loss of the sense of smell or taste, their surgical removal usually restores the lost senses.