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.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
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Sensory Dysfunction: Problems with Smell or Taste(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/489.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/articles/489.printerview.html
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Smell Disorders
(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/smelltaste/smell.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/spanish/smell_span.asp -
Taste Disorders(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/smelltaste/taste.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/spanish/taste_span.asp
- Smell and Taste(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/smellTaste.cfm
- Smell and Taste Disorders(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec19/ch221/ch221j.html
- Team Sniffs Out Process That Could Make 'Artificial Nose'(09/30/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69890.html
- Kids' Obesity Linked to Ear Infections(08/14/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68173.html
- Dysgeusia (Taste Disorder)(Columbia University Medical Center, School of Dental & Oral Surgery) - http://www.simplestepsdental.com/SS/ihtSS/r.WSIHW000/st.32219/t.32798/pr.3.html
- Loss of Taste and Smell Stinks!(American Rhinologic Society) - http://american-rhinologic.org/patientinfo.loss.phtml
- Changes in Taste and Smell(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MBC/content/MBC_6_2X_When_Things_Arent_Tasting_Right.asp?sitearea=MBC
- Eating during Cancer Treatment: Tips to Make Food Tastier(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cancer/HQ01135/method=print
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What You Need to Know about Natural Gas Detectors(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/smelltaste/gasdtctr.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/spanish/gasdtctr_span.asp
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Problems with Smell
(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://nihseniorhealth.gov/problemswithsmell/toc.html
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Problems with Taste(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://nihseniorhealth.gov/problemswithtaste/toc.html
- Taste Detectors(Society for Neuroscience) - http://web.sfn.org/index.cfm?pagename=brainBriefings_tasteDetectors
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Taste Disorders(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Taste+Disorders%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Olfaction Disorders(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Olfaction+Disorders%22
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Common Worldwide Variation Discovered in Human Taste Receptor Genes(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/research/stories/archives/06/10_01_06.asp
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Genetics Home Reference: Kallmann syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=kallmannsyndrome
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Importance of Being Tasty(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/research/stories/archives/06/03_01_06.asp
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Smell and taste dysfunction following minor stroke: a case report. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18649778&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Fill up on flavor. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18634241&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: The effects of an essential oil and an amine fluoride/stannous... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18597599&tool=MedlinePlus
- Taste and Smell Disorders -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(taste[majr]+OR+taste+disorders[mh]+OR+taste+threshold[mh]+OR+taste+buds[mh])+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Smell and smell disorders -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(smell[majr]+OR+olfaction+disorders[majr])+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
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NIDCD Glossary(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/glossary/
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Directory of Organizations (Deafness and Communication Disorders)(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/directory/
- Find an Otolaryngologist (ENT)(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org//findanentmore.cfm
- American Rhinologic Society - http://www.american-rhinologic.org/
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National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/
- Society for Neuroscience - http://web.sfn.org/
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Statistics on Smell and Taste(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/smell.asp
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Statistics on Taste(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/taste.asp
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What Are Taste Buds?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/taste_buds.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/cuerpo/taste_buds_esp.html
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What's That Smell? The Nose Knows(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/body/nose_SW.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/cuerpo/nose_esp.html
- Loss of Taste and Smell: A Normal Part of Aging?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/loss-of-taste-and-smell/AN01198/METHOD=print
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Problems with Smell(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://nihseniorhealth.gov/problemswithsmell/toc.html
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Problems with Taste(National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) - http://nihseniorhealth.gov/problemswithtaste/toc.html
- Mouth Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mouthdisorders.html
- Nose Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/nosedisorders.html
- Ear, Nose and Throat - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/earnoseandthroat.html
- Mouth and Teeth - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mouthandteeth.html
- Seniors - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seniors.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Taste and Smell Disorders is the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/