Taste and Smell Disorders Summary Our senses of taste and smell give us great pleasure. Taste helps us enjoy food and beverages. Smell lets us enjoy the scents and fragrances like roses or coffee. Taste and smell also protect us, letting us know when food has gone bad or when there is a gas leak. They make us want to eat, ensuring we get the nutrition we need. People with taste disorders may taste things that aren’t there, may not be able to tell the difference in tastes, or can’t taste at all. People with smell disorders may lose their sense of smell, or things may smell different. A smell they once enjoyed may now smell bad to them. Many illnesses and injuries can cause taste and smell disorders, including colds and head injuries. Some drugs can also affect taste and smell. Most people lose some ability to taste and smell as they get older. Treatment varies, depending on the problem and its cause. NIH: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders NIH MedlinePlus Magazine A National Test of Taste and Smell Medical Mystery: Losing the Sense of Smell Encyclopedia Aging changes in the senses Sinus MRI scan Find an Expert American Rhinologic Society American Rhinologic Society Directory of Organizations (Deafness and Communication Disorders) National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Find an ENT American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Dysgeusia National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Olfaction Disorders National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Taste Disorders National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Taste Perception National Institutes of Health Specifics Disorders of Smell and Taste American Rhinologic Society Genetics Genetics Home Reference: Kallmann syndrome National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: Refsum disease National Library of Medicine Reference Desk NIDCD Glossary National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Videos and Tutorials Older Adults and Smell Loss National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders What Can I Do About Smell Loss? National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Seniors Problems with Smell National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Problems with Taste National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Smell and Taste: Spice of Life National Institute on Aging Journal Articles Smell and smell disorders Taste and taste disorders Statistics and Research Quick Statistics about Taste and Smell National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Start Here Sensory Dysfunction American Academy of Family Physicians Smell and Taste American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Smell and Taste Disorders Merck & Co., Inc. Smell Disorders National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Taste Disorders National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Array Smell – impaired Smelling Taste – impaired Tasting Related Issues Taking the Bitter out of Bittersweet National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Children What Are Taste Buds? Nemours Foundation Your Nose Nemours Foundation Latest News Your Ability to ‘Smell’ the Taste of Foods Can Lessen with Age HealthDay
