Loss of taste

Introduction Taste refers to the feeling that food stimulates and produces a chemosensory system in the mouth of a person's mouth. People in different regions have different classifications of taste. There are many factors that reduce the taste of the elderly, because the taste of food comes not only from the basic taste of the tongue, but also closely related to the effects of smell, vision and nerves.

Cause

Causes of loss of taste:

As the age increases, the taste buds gradually degenerate and shrink, and the number decreases. The salivary gland is also shrinking and the amount of saliva secreted is reduced. Saliva not only has digestive effects, but also moisturizes and dissolves food to make it fully contact with the taste buds, causing a taste sensation. Also. The old man's teeth are gradually loosening, falling off, chewing function is reduced, and the sense of smell is reduced, which is not conducive to the taste of food in the elderly.

an examination

Related inspection

Glossal examination of the facial nerve by glossopharyngeal nerve

Diagnosis of loss of taste:

Experiments have shown that the sensitivity of the elderly to taste is 11 times lower than that of younger ones, the sensitivity to sweetness and bitterness is reduced by 7 times, and the sensitivity to sourness is reduced by 4 times. Therefore, even if the elderly are in good health, there will be varying degrees of loss of taste, the taste becomes heavier, and the more salty they eat. These changes are gradually occurring, and the elderly themselves are hard to detect. They are generally discovered by children when they are cooking for their children. The sudden loss of taste in the elderly is related to long-term use of drugs, except for the deterioration of taste. Many drugs, such as antihypertensive drugs, diabetes drugs, antidepressants, antibiotics, etc., may cause taste changes if taken for a long time. Therefore, the drug user should pay attention to whether the taste is abnormal or not. Once the taste is found to be worse than before, the doctor should discuss the dressing change. In addition, improper use of mouthwash may also accelerate taste degradation.

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis of taste loss:

Degradation of taste can be roughly divided into subjective and objective reasons. Subjective causes are mainly related to emotions, and objective reasons mainly affect the brain nerves related to taste, which leads to taste decline. In addition, to maintain a normal taste, it is also necessary to have good saliva quality, the components such as salivary enzymes are normal, and the microorganisms in the oral cavity are not pathologically grown. Conversely, taste may be a problem. If young and middle-aged people suddenly lose their sense of taste, they should be alert to cranial nerve problems and need to go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment.

Experiments have shown that the sensitivity of the elderly to taste is 11 times lower than that of younger ones, the sensitivity to sweetness and bitterness is reduced by 7 times, and the sensitivity to sourness is reduced by 4 times. Therefore, even if the elderly are in good health, there will be varying degrees of loss of taste, the taste becomes heavier, and the more salty they eat. These changes are gradually occurring, and the elderly themselves are hard to detect. They are generally discovered by children when they are cooking for their children. The sudden loss of taste in the elderly is related to long-term use of drugs, except for the deterioration of taste. Many drugs, such as antihypertensive drugs, diabetes drugs, antidepressants, antibiotics, etc., may cause taste changes if taken for a long time. Therefore, the drug user should pay attention to whether the taste is abnormal or not. Once the taste is found to be worse than before, the doctor should discuss the dressing change. In addition, improper use of mouthwash may also accelerate taste degradation.

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