Change in taste in older people

What is change in taste?

It’s caused by a variety of factors and like most of our senses, the sense of taste tends to decline with age as the taste buds degenerate. This means problems that would cause a bit of a loss of taste in younger people can wipe out what little remains in an older person.

This loss (or distortion) of taste and smell can then take away someone's appetite so that they're less interested in eating. Older people often tend to have a poorer appetite anyway (many exist on tea, toast, biscuits and other snacks) and so quickly lose weight.

Certain illnesses can also cause a change in taste.

Causes and risk factors

Very often, what a person actually loses is their sense of smell - and this is what causes a change in taste (as smell is a major contributor to the sense of taste). Smell is disrupted by conditions that affect the lining of the nose, such as the common cold or chronic rhinitis. More rarely, it's affected by nerve problems, ranging from damage to nerves in the nose, to damage to areas of the brain controlling smell (such as the result of a stroke).

Perhaps the most common cause of taste problems, especially in older people, is problems in the mouth (related to teeth or saliva).

Any condition that results in a dry mouth can cause problems because saliva is essential for taste. Chemicals in food or drink dissolve in saliva and this bathes the taste buds. In a dry mouth, the chemicals never reach the taste buds.

Anything that causes inflammation in the mouth can damage the taste buds. Ill-fitting dentures or teeth and gums full of decay are some of the major culprits. Smoking can also destroy taste.

Rarer causes of taste problems include:

• Damage to the nerves between face and brain
• Stroke
• Brain tumours
• Tumours elsewhere in the body
• Liver disease
• Extreme vitamin deficiencies
• Some medicines and drugs that can cause changes in taste
• Depression and other psychological problems that can alter taste
• Heavy metal poisoning (though this is extremely rare these days

Treatment and recovery

An older person with taste problems should see a doctor to rule out any medical causes, and a dentist to check the mouth and gums.