Losing or changing the way food tastes when sick is common. Medically, this alteration is called hypogeusia (a reduced sense of taste) or ageusia (a complete loss). This taste change is often a temporary side effect of a viral illness, and it is almost always connected to the sense of smell. While frustrating, this symptom typically resolves once the underlying illness clears. A third, less common experience is dysgeusia, where a persistent foul, metallic, or rancid taste is present even when not eating.
Why Illness Causes Taste Loss
Flavor perception is a complex process that relies heavily on the sense of smell, not just the basic taste buds on the tongue. The tongue detects five basic tastes—sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami. The brain combines these basic tastes with aromatic molecules to create the rich, nuanced experience of flavor. When chewing food, volatile odor molecules travel up the back of the throat to the nasal cavity through the retronasal passage, stimulating olfactory receptors.
Illnesses like the common cold, flu, or a sinus infection cause inflammation and lead to an overproduction of mucus. This physical blockage prevents odor molecules from reaching the specialized olfactory receptors in the upper nasal passages. When the smell component is blocked, the brain receives only basic taste signals from the tongue, making food seem bland, flat, or like “cardboard.” In most viral infections, the taste buds themselves remain functional, but the flavor experience is lost because the sense of smell is compromised.
Practical Steps to Stimulate Taste
Since the five basic tastes are usually intact, focus on maximizing these sensations and stimulating other sensory inputs. Incorporating strong, non-irritating flavors like lemon, lime, or vinegar can help “wake up” the remaining taste receptors. Sour and tart flavors are highly effective at stimulating saliva production. Adequate moisture in the mouth allows food particles to spread and coat the taste buds, enhancing the limited taste signals the brain receives.
Experimenting with potent aromas and spices, such as cinnamon, ginger, fresh basil, or strong garlic, can provide a sensory boost. While the nuance may not be smelled, some of these compounds stimulate the trigeminal nerve, causing sensations of coolness, tingling, or warmth that mimic flavor. Adding a variety of sweet, salty, spicy, or sour condiments to meals can layer the basic tastes and make eating more tolerable.
Focusing on temperature and texture provides additional sensory input independent of smell. Try contrasting textures, such as crunchy vegetables or crackers paired with a smooth dip, to engage the somatosensory system. Incorporating temperature contrasts, such as very hot broth or ice-cold sorbet, can make the food more noticeable. Eating slowly and mindfully, paying attention to the visual appeal and physical feel of the food, helps maintain interest in eating and ensures proper nutrition.
Managing Secondary Symptoms That Affect Taste
The most direct way to get flavor back is to clear the physical blockage preventing odor molecules from reaching the olfactory system. Saline nasal irrigation, often performed with a Neti pot or squeeze bottle, is highly effective for reducing inflammation and washing away excess mucus. This process requires using sterile water (distilled or boiled and cooled tap water) mixed with non-iodized salt and a pinch of baking soda to create an isotonic solution.
To perform a saline rinse, tilt your head over a sink, insert the device into one nostril, and allow the solution to flow through and exit the other nostril, flushing out irritants. Another method is steam inhalation, which involves breathing warm, moist air to loosen thick mucus. This can be done by sitting in a bathroom with a hot shower running or carefully leaning over a bowl of hot water with a towel draped over your head for 10 to 15 minutes.
Using a humidifier in your bedroom at night adds moisture to the air, helping to soothe inflamed nasal membranes and prevent mucus from drying out. These techniques aim to reduce congestion that blocks the olfactory receptors. Clearing the nasal passage allows odorants to reach the nerve endings, which is necessary for the full sense of flavor to return.
When to Consult a Healthcare Provider
In most cases of the common cold or flu, the sense of taste returns as congestion clears, typically within one to two weeks. If taste loss persists for more than four weeks after all other illness symptoms have resolved, consult a healthcare provider, such as an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat doctor). A sudden loss of taste or smell without accompanying cold or allergy symptoms also warrants professional evaluation, as it could indicate a less common issue.
Seek medical advice if you experience dysgeusia, where a phantom, unpleasant taste lingers in your mouth. This distortion can be a side effect of certain medications, including antibiotics and blood pressure drugs, or related to dental problems or neurological concerns. A healthcare provider can conduct a thorough assessment to rule out causes unrelated to a simple viral infection, such as nutritional deficiencies or nerve damage responsible for taste and smell.