Why food loses its taste when you’re sick

You usually aren’t craving a big feast when you have a respiratory virus, such as the flu, common cold, COVID or RSV. To make matters worse, the food you do force yourself to eat sometimes doesn’t taste quite right – or like anything at all. This is because respiratory viruses cause temporary loss of taste.

Why do you lose sense of taste when you’re sick?

Your sense of smell plays a crucial role in your ability to taste. Your taste buds and olfactory sensory neurons work together to comprehend the flavor of food.

“Congestion is a common symptom of respiratory viruses, which is caused by inflamed nasal tissue that blocks your ability to breathe and therefore smell normally,” explains Dr. Brian Dudor, a family medicine physician at Aurora Health Care. “When you lose your sense of smell, you’re unable to smell the food as you are eating it, stopping it from reaching your olfactory sensory neurons.”

Is loss of taste permanent?

Loss of taste is typically temporary when it’s caused by a respiratory infection. Your senses should return to normal once your symptoms are resolved.

Some people with long COVID, a COVID infection that lingers for over three months, have a slower return to a full sense of taste. This is likely due to the olfactory sensory neurons needing to get back into the routine of regenerating after significant damage.

Are there other reasons for loss of taste?

Medications

Some medications can affect your sense of taste until they are discontinued, including antibiotics, blood pressure medications and antihistamines.

“These medications often dry out the mouth and affect your taste buds,” Dr. Dudor says. “Other times certain medications disrupt the nerve signals to your olfactory sensory neurons and therefore affect your ability to taste.”

Make sure to check in with your health care provider before stopping any medication. They can help you find an alternative medication that is less likely to have the same side effect and ensure you taper off the medication safely.

Cancer treatment

People who receive chemotherapy or radiation treatments for head and neck cancers often experience a disruption to their sense of taste.

“Some people with head and neck cancers report that food has a metallic taste or no flavor at all after they receive treatment,” Dr. Dudor explains. “This typically resolves once the chemo or radiation has fully left the body. It’s important to work with your health care provider or a registered dietitian to ensure you’re still getting proper nutrition despite either not having an appetite from nausea or experiencing food not tasting right.”

Neurological conditions

Some neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, damage neurons that can affect your sense of taste.

“A lost or distorted sense of taste or smell is often an early sign of these neurodegenerative diseases,” Dr. Dudor adds. “This might look like a drastic change in food preferences.”

When to see a doctor for taste changes

Schedule an appointment with your health care provider if:

• Your sense of taste doesn’t return after illness
• You unintentionally lose weight
• You notice accompanying neurological symptoms
• Your medication might need to be swapped

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