How to Get Taste Back

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 13, 2022 References

The ability to taste wonderful flavors is one of life’s great pleasures. Sometimes, because of illness or advancing age, you can lose your sense of taste. This makes it harder to enjoy meals. Don't worry, though, because in many situations the loss of taste is temporary and reversible. With a few simple remedies you’ll be savoring your meals again in no time!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Home Remedies

1
Give yourself a castor oil massage to relieve sinusitis. To help alleviate sinusitis, and restore your sense of smell and taste, rub about ¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2.5 mL) of castor oil mixed with a drop of essential oil like eucalyptus onto your face, using moderate pressure. Start between your eyes, and massage out across your eyebrows toward your ears, then down either side of your nose.
- Castor oil applied topically can increase blood flow and help drain the sinuses.^{[1]
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- Your sense of taste and smell are intimately linked, and loss of one can affect the other. That's why you tend to lose your sense of taste when you have a cold, flu, or congestion caused by allergies.
2
Drink hot tea when you're sick. Boil water in a pot or kettle and pour it into a teapot. Add tea leaves or tea bags of the herbal tea of your choice and let it steep for the correct amount of time depending on the kind of tea you're using, usually between 3 and 5 minutes. Drink the tea while it's still hot.
- You can drink as much herbal tea in a day as you want, but aim for at least one cup a day when you're battling illness.
- Consuming hot herbal teas when you have a cold helps to thin out the mucus in your nostrils. This restores your senses of smell and taste. The hot flavorful drinks can also stimulate your taste buds.
- There are many kinds of herbal tea you can try. Chamomile is anti-inflammatory and peppermint is anti-microbial and good for your digestive tract. Both are excellent for helping to fight off illness and ameliorate cold symptoms.^{[2]
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3
Mix garlic with water to fight off a cold. Garlic is a natural anti-biotic that helps combat illness. For the most potent remedy, put 1-2 cloves of finely minced garlic into a small glass of water and drink it down immediately.
- Pregnant women shouldn't take more than 1 clove of garlic medicinally in a day.^{[3]
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- You can also add garlic to your meal, which can help perk up your taste buds with its strong flavor.
4
Inhale steam to clear congestion. Boil 1 to 2 cups (240 to 470 mL) of water in a large pot, and remove from heat. Cover the pot with a lid for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and put your face directly over the pot with a tea towel covering your head to hold the heat in and direct the steam into your face. Breathe the steam in for as long as you can, aiming for up to 15 minutes.
- If you want you can add 2 teaspoons (9.9 mL) each of thyme, oregano, and rosemary to the water.
- You can also try putting ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of vinegar into the water to help fight off your illness.^{[4]
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5
Rinse out your mouth with oil to maintain oral health. Put 1 to 2 teaspoons (4.9 to 9.9 mL) of coconut, olive, or sesame oil in your mouth and swish for 20 minutes. The oil will thicken as you swish and should be creamy white when you spit it out. When you're done swishing, spit the oil into your trash can instead of your sink to avoid clogging your pipes.
- Rinse your mouth out with warm water and brush your teeth.
- Oil pulling can combat harmful bacteria in your mouth that can impair your sense of taste, and cleanse out bad tastes. Do oil pulling once every morning before eating or drinking anything.^{[5]
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6
Consume cinnamon every day to improve your oral health. You can add cinnamon to many foods and drinks. If you have a cold or flu, put ¹⁄₂ teaspoon (2.5 mL) in a cup of tea, with a drop of honey added for sweetness and drink it hot.
- Cinnamon has many health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. It can help reduce swelling from colds and flus that diminish your sense of taste, as well as prevent tooth decay and gum disease that can affect your ability to taste.
- Like any food, cinnamon consumed in too large quantities can be bad for your health. Limit yourself to 1 to 2 teaspoons (4.9 to 9.9 mL) a day and you should be fine if you don't have any underlying medical conditions. Always consult your doctor if you're unsure.^{[6]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Lifestyle Changes

1
Eat foods rich in zinc. Loss of smell and taste can sometimes be caused by deficiencies in zinc. Zinc is very important for proper bodily functioning, but isn't stored for long periods of time in your body. You therefore need a constant zinc supply from your diet.
- Foods like oysters, beef, pumpkin seeds, tahini, dark chocolate, crab, lobster, pork, and beans are all rich in zinc.
- Sometimes a zinc supplement is required, but don't take one without first consulting your doctor. Consuming too much zinc, more than 100 to 200 milligrams (0.0035 to 0.0071 oz) a day can lead to reduced iron and copper levels, vomiting, and gastrointestinal issues.^{[7]
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2
Drink about 8 cups of 8 fluid ounces (240 mL) of water a day. A dry mouth can cause you to lose your sense of taste and smell. Staying hydrated is also a great way to remain healthy in general and possibly prevent colds that can diminish your sense of taste.
- Your fluid intake is likely sufficient if you're rarely thirsty and your urine is clear or pale yellow.
- Some people might need more or less than 8 glasses of water a day to be adequately hydrated. On average, women need about 11.5 cups (2.7 L) of fluid a day and men need about 15.5 cups (3.7 L).^{[8]
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3
Brush Your Teeth and floss regularly. Maintaining good dental hygiene is important for preventing gingivitis, the early stage of gum disease caused by plaque build-up on your gum lines. Excessive plaque on your gums as well as tooth disease and deterioration can all lead to impaired taste, so keep your mouth healthy by flossing and brushing with fluoride toothpaste for at least 2 minutes twice daily.^{[9]
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4
Quit smoking if you're a smoker. Try different strategies until you find one that works for you, such as going cold turkey, using a nicotine replacement therapy like gum or a patch that gradually reduces the amount of nicotine you consume, or getting a prescription medicine like Chantix or Zyban that reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms by changing your brain chemistry.^{[10]
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- Not only is smoking bad for your overall health, it can impair your ability to taste foods. You can regain your sense of taste in as little as 2 days after quitting.^{[11]
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- It can certainly be challenging, but don’t give up trying to quit smoking because there are lots of strategies and one will work for you. Some smokers have success quitting by using hypnosis, acupuncture, and meditation to help break the mental and physical habits associated with smoking cigarettes.^{[12]
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5
Use extra spices and and flavors in your meals as you age. Your sense of taste naturally diminishes as you get older.^{[13]
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Research source}To compensate for losing taste buds, you can get more flavor out of your food by topping it with spices and herbs, like basil, oregano, cilantro, and black pepper.
- If your diet permits, put cheese, bacon bits, butter, olive oil, and toasted nuts on vegetables to get more flavor out of your food.
- Avoid adding too much salt or sugar, which can be unhealthy.
- Avoid dishes like casseroles that combine many ingredients and mask individual flavors. This can dilute the taste.^{[14]
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- Make sure your spices aren’t too old, since they lose their flavor over time.^{[15]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Getting Medical Remedies

1
Take decongestants or antihistamines to clear out your nasal passages. If your loss of taste is caused by a cold, flu, or seasonal allergies, you can try over-the-counter medicines to unblock your congested nasal passages. This will help your sense of smell, and related sense of taste, return more quickly.^{[16]
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- Decongestants come in pills, liquid form, and nasal sprays. Some over-the-counter decongestants containing pseudoephedrine are found behind the pharmacy counter, though you don't need a prescription for them.^{[17]
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2
Get a prescription for antibiotics if you have a bacterial infection. Some conditions, such as bacterial sinusitis, and infections of the throat and salivary glands, can lead to an impaired sense of taste. Consult your doctor and after a proper diagnosis, take prescription antibiotics to treat these conditions and help your sense of taste return.^{[18]
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- There is debate in the medical community about whether you need to complete a course of antibiotics or stop when your symptoms improve. Without a clear consensus yet, consult your doctor on how long you need to take your medicine and whether to continue after your symptoms have cleared up.^{[19]
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3
See an otolaryngologist if you have prolonged loss of taste. An otolaryngologist, more commonly known as an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor, is a specialist in problems related to the ears, nose, throat, mouth, and larynx. If you experience loss of taste that isn’t attributable to a cold or to ageing, you should ask your doctor for a referral to this specialist, who can diagnose the extent of your taste loss and help you find a treatment for the underlying condition.
- The otolaryngologist will examine your ears, nose, throat, and mouth and perform a taste test to determine the lowest concentration of taste quality that you’re able to detect. You might be asked to compare the taste of different chemical concentrations by sipping them and then spitting them out, or chemicals may be applied directly to the surface of your tongue.^{[20]
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- Certain disorders, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and Bell’s palsy, can cause impaired sense of taste, so it is important to get examined by a doctor if you’re experiencing a prolonged loss of taste.^{[21]
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4
Change your medicines if your doctor advises it. Sometimes loss of taste is caused by medicines you’re taking for other conditions. For example, chemotherapy for cancer can lead to an impaired or altered sense of taste.^{[22]
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Research source} Consult your doctor to see if you can switch the medicine or dosage.^{[23]
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Johns Hopkins Medicine
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5
Seek medical treatment for nasal polyps. Loss of taste can sometimes be caused by polyps, which are soft, painless, noncancerous growths that hang in your sinuses or nasal passages.^{[24]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source} Nasal polyps can be treated with drugs and, in more persistent cases, surgery.
- Your doctor may prescribe corticosteroids to shrink your polyps and reduce inflammation.
- If medication doesn’t work to reduce or eliminate your nasal polyps, your doctor may perform endoscopic surgery. The surgeon inserts a tube with a camera into your nostrils and then uses tiny instruments to remove the polyps and possibly enlarge the openings from your sinuses to your nasal passages. This surgery is typically an outpatient procedure with a recovery time of about 2 weeks.^{[25]
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  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source}