Symptoms and Treatments for Taste Disturbance Caused by Long COVID

The occurrence of taste disturbance as a post-COVID condition has received significant media attention.
However, not everyone who becomes infected with COVID-19 develops taste disturbance.
The symptoms and timing of onset also vary from person to person.
Although much remains unknown about why taste disturbance occurs as a post-COVID condition, let us take a detailed look at the symptoms, causes, and other aspects currently understood.

Taste disturbance as a post-COVID condition is said to occur more frequently in people aged 30 and under.
Taste disturbance does not only mean being unable to taste food.
Other symptoms include food not tasting good; foods tasting different from their actual flavor, such as something that should be sweet tasting bitter; and the mouth always feeling bitter or sweet, not only when eating.

Feeling that food tastes blander than it actually is can also be considered taste disturbance.
Taste disturbance following COVID-19 can occur even without other symptoms that develop during infection, and the occurrence and severity of taste disturbance may also vary depending on which strain of COVID-19 caused the infection.

The detailed causes of taste disturbance resulting from COVID-19 infection are still not fully understood.
However, it is said that when the coronavirus enters the body, it affects the taste buds and nerves responsible for taste on the tongue, resulting in dysfunction.
The same can be said of the symptoms of viral colds.
When a person has a viral cold, or simply catches a cold, the virus may directly damage nerve cells, or infection with the virus may activate the immune system and cause inflammation, resulting in the loss of taste or smell.

Taste disturbance caused by COVID-19 is also thought to involve complex interacting factors, rather than a single specific cause, including aging, medication side effects, nutritional deficiencies, and chronic medical conditions.

In addition to taste disturbance occurring as a post-COVID condition, olfactory dysfunction may also develop.
As with taste disturbance, olfactory dysfunction does not only mean being unable to smell anything at all. Some people experience symptoms such as smelling something different from before, perceiving strange odors, having a weaker sense of smell, or perceiving every smell as the same.

Olfactory dysfunction following COVID-19 is said to improve in many people within approximately two weeks after onset without special treatment. However, because much remains unknown about COVID-19 itself, it is advisable to consult a medical institution if olfactory dysfunction does not improve even after more than one month has passed since onset.

Many people may feel anxious about how long taste disturbance will continue when it occurs as a post-COVID condition.
Smell also has a significant effect on appetite. When physical strength has been depleted by symptoms such as fever, fatigue, coughing, or difficulty breathing, it is necessary to eat as much as possible to replenish nutrients.
However, some people may lose their appetite when they have taste disturbance, such as being unable to smell food at all or feeling a bitter taste in the mouth even after eating.

At present, although results vary from person to person, approximately 84% of people whose taste disturbance continues after the COVID-19 recovery period are said to recover naturally around one month after infection.
If taste disturbance does not improve after one month, treatment may be considered necessary.

The most important way to prevent taste disturbance as a post-COVID condition is to avoid becoming infected with COVID-19 in the first place.
Basic preventive measures, such as washing and disinfecting the hands frequently, avoiding crowded places, and wearing a mask and maintaining an appropriate distance when interacting with others, remain essential even after vaccination.

It may also be beneficial to make a conscious effort to consume zinc.
When there is insufficient zinc in the body, the function of the taste buds, which act as sensors for taste, declines and taste disturbance occurs.
Foods rich in zinc include oysters, dried sardines, pork liver, and beef chuck.

We explain when to seek medical care if symptoms of taste disturbance caused by post-COVID conditions continue.
Although taste disturbance symptoms are said to improve naturally in many people, results vary from person to person, so it is necessary to carefully monitor changes in symptoms.
It is advisable to remember how long post-COVID conditions have continued since becoming infected with COVID-19.
We will also explain the available treatment options.

If taste disturbance symptoms continue for more than two weeks after the COVID-19 recovery period has ended, consult a medical institution.
It is also important to seek advice if you have severe symptoms that interfere with daily life.
If you have a primary care physician, consult that doctor, or contact a nearby medical institution.
You should visit an otolaryngology department. However, some medical institutions now have outpatient clinics for post-COVID conditions, so if you know that your taste disturbance is caused by post-COVID conditions, you may also choose to visit one of these facilities.

There is currently no established treatment for taste disturbance caused by post-COVID conditions.
Therefore, symptomatic treatment is provided to alleviate or eliminate the symptoms.
Steroid nasal sprays, Kampo medicines, zinc supplements, and other treatments may be prescribed.

It is also said that receiving two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine reduces by approximately half the occurrence of symptoms that continue for 28 days or longer after infection.
Because the COVID-19 vaccine may help suppress post-COVID conditions, vaccination may provide reassurance.

Post-COVID conditions can involve various symptoms, and taste disturbance is a characteristic symptom.
Although taste disturbance is said to improve naturally within one month in many people, it is advisable to consult a medical institution if the symptoms do not improve after more than one month.

LIVELY CLINIC is a clinic specializing in post-COVID conditions. If you have any concerning symptoms, please feel free to consult us.