When everything starts tasting like cardboard there’s a chance we have bad influenza, or worse, COVID-19. Our appetite takes a dip and we start eating less food. Fried chicken, bombay, and oatmeal porridge without honey all taste bland. On January 3, 2021 Roni Caryn Rabin asked the question in New York Times what happens if this becomes permanent.
What Happens to a Gourmet Cook Who Loses Her Taste?
Rabin cites the example of a gourmet cook who could prepare just any meal by knowing the flavors and scents. And then long COVID laid her low and since then she lives off soups and shakes, because she can’t tolerate chewing. ‘I’m like someone who loses their eyesight as an adult,’ she explains. ‘They know what something should look like. I know what it should taste like, but I can’t get there.’
That’s a massive quality of life issue, says Dr. Alfred Iloreta, otolaryngologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. That had us scrambling for our google, where we learned otolaryngology is a medical specialism focusing on ears, nose, and throat, all major openings to the world beyond us.
What Can We Do When Everything Starts Tasting Like Cardboard?
We stop eating properly when everything starts tasting like cardboard because we have flu, and we lose a little weight. But what would happen to our health if this were a permanent condition? Dr. Iloreta started a trial to find out whether omega-3 fatty acids could help protect cells from further damage. And maybe help regenerate nerve growth.
But loss of taste and smell is more than just about food. Dr. Iloreta has a patient who loves to walk on the beach. However, he no longer smells the ocean or tastes the salty air on his arms. ‘My mind knows what it smells like,’ he says. ‘And when I get there, it’s not there.’
Related
Taste and Smell Loss May Indicate COVID-19
Acute Loss of Smell and Taste and Covid-19
Preview Image: Rockaway Beach in 2013
