Hypogeusia

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Hypogeusia
Differential diagnosis *Bell's Palsy

Hypogeusia is a reduced ability to taste things (to taste sweet, sour, bitter, or salty substances). The complete lack of taste is referred to as ageusia. Causes of hypogeusia include the chemotherapy drug bleomycin, [1] an antitumor antibiotic, Bell's Palsy, and zinc deficiency among others. [2] [3] [4] [5]

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Trimethoprim Antibiotic

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Dysgeusia, also known as parageusia, is a distortion of the sense of taste. Dysgeusia is also often associated with ageusia, which is the complete lack of taste, and hypogeusia, which is a decrease in taste sensitivity. An alteration in taste or smell may be a secondary process in various disease states, or it may be the primary symptom. The distortion in the sense of taste is the only symptom, and diagnosis is usually complicated since the sense of taste is tied together with other sensory systems. Common causes of dysgeusia include chemotherapy, asthma treatment with albuterol, and zinc deficiency. Liver disease, hypothyroidism, and rarely certain types of seizures can also lead to dysgeusia. Different drugs could also be responsible for altering taste and resulting in dysgeusia. Due to the variety of causes of dysgeusia, there are many possible treatments that are effective in alleviating or terminating the symptoms of dysgeusia. These include artificial saliva, pilocarpine, zinc supplementation, alterations in drug therapy, and alpha lipoic acid.

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Ageusia is the loss of taste functions of the tongue, particularly the inability to detect sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness, and umami. It is sometimes confused with anosmia – a loss of the sense of smell. Because the tongue can only indicate texture and differentiate between sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami, most of what is perceived as the sense of taste is actually derived from smell. True ageusia is relatively rare compared to hypogeusia – a partial loss of taste – and dysgeusia – a distortion or alteration of taste.

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References

  1. Ackerman, Bruce H.; Kasbekar, Nishaminy (1997). "Disturbances of Taste and Smell Induced by Drugs". Pharmacotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug Therapy. 17 (3): 482–496. doi:10.1002/j.1875-9114.1997.tb03058.x. ISSN   1875-9114. PMID   9165552. S2CID   12671326.
  2. Pisano, Michele; Hilas, Olga (2016-05-01). "Zinc and Taste Disturbances in Older Adults: A Review of the Literature". The Consultant Pharmacist. 31 (5): 267–270. doi:10.4140/TCP.n.2016.267. PMID   27178656.
  3. Heyneman, Catherine A. (2016-06-28). "Zinc Deficiency and Taste Disorders". Annals of Pharmacotherapy. 30 (2): 186–187. doi:10.1177/106002809603000215. PMID   8835055. S2CID   20569450.
  4. Ikeda, M.; Ikui, A.; Komiyama, A.; Kobayashi, D.; Tanaka, M. (25 June 2007). "Causative factors of taste disorders in the elderly, and therapeutic effects of zinc". The Journal of Laryngology & Otology. 122 (2): 155–160. doi:10.1017/S0022215107008833. ISSN   1748-5460. PMID   17592661. S2CID   35435439.
  5. Stewart-Knox, Barbara J.; Simpson, Ellen E. A.; Parr, Heather; Rae, Gordon; Polito, Angela; Intorre, Federica; Sanchez, Maud Andriollo; Meunier, Natalie; O'Connor, Jacqueline M.; Maiani, Giuseppe; Coudray, Charles (26 July 2007). "Taste acuity in response to zinc supplementation in older Europeans". British Journal of Nutrition. 99 (1): 129–136. doi: 10.1017/S0007114507781485 . ISSN   1475-2662. PMID   17651517.