Symptoms

Symptoms of Smell and Taste Disturbances

Smell and taste disorder symptoms include the complete inability to smell or taste, a reduced ability to smell or taste, and the distorted sense of smell or taste. The sense of taste is tied to the sense of smell—if you lose the sense of smell, you will find that food does not taste as good and some tastes disappear completely.

For some sufferers of smell and taste disorders, smells and tastes that were previously considered pleasant may become unpleasant. For others, certain taste profiles may be lost. The human tongue can detect five taste profiles: sweet, salty, sour, bitter or umami (savory).