Taste disorders -
World Class Holistic Homeopathy Treatment
Tongue & Taste – Taste disorders
The delight of food always remains with taste. Taste is also linked to our
mind and appetite. Favourites, cravings and aversion to foods are all related
to the word ‘taste’. Taste reacts with the need of the body and can improve
appetite. Each and everyone has their own favourite taste and prefers it
repeatedly with desire. Changes in taste can make changes in
life/health status (vice versa).
Taste disorders can arise in anyone, any time. It may arise as a simple
alteration in taste or with diminished taste or with inability to identify the
specific taste. It can vary from minor changes for a particular item to
complete loss of taste to all items. When regularly preferred tasty food tastes
so bad, one should take care of health status since it can be an alarming
symptom of the start-up of a disease.
Taste disorders – Taste disorders are classified as:
·
Ageusia – Absence of taste (complete loss of taste
buds/nerve functions)
·
Dysgeusia – inappropriate / inaccurate taste
(malfunctions of nerves)
·
Hypogeusia – diminished taste sense (partial loss of
taste buds/nerve functions)
·
Parageusia – irritating or unpleasant sense of taste
Incidences
Normally, the ability to identify a specific taste seems to be more with
females than with males in all ages. The acuity of taste will be more
between 20 – 50 years. After that period taste identifying ability will have a
downfall irrespective of sex along with the smelling ability. In case of
diseases, taste disorders can pop up any time (in start-up or in the middle of
the course or in the end) and may persist for the time being or be life-long
according to availing treatment.
Causes
Normally, taste may differ (lowered
or altered) with age, dentures, poor oral hygience, tongue coating and lack of
proper brushing. Habits of smoking, drinking, tobacco chewing, drug cocktails,
strong toothpaste, etc., can also alter taste. Correcting these can just
relieve the complaints. In case of diseases causes may be as:
·
Diseases - Taste disorders can arise in upper
respiratory tract infection, allergic rhinitis, nasal polyp, sinusitis, post-
nasal drip, viral flu, stomatitis, liver disorders, gastric disorders, nerve
leisons and hormonal disorders, psychological disorders (may be a
hallucination), brain dysfunctions following head injury , saliva
dysfunctions/dry mouth, etc.
·
Drugs, treatments like chemotherpy, radiation therapy,
etc.
·
Finally, it can arise without any reason too
(idiopathic).
Symptoms
Taste disorders are often temporary. Alteration in taste varies depending upon
the disease, period of suffering, treatment and drugs. For example:
·
In gout – uric acid diathesis/metabolism – salty taste
·
In infection (bacterial) – metallic taste
·
In fever (viral flu) – bitter taste
·
In gastritis/heartburn – sour taste
·
In toxicity – metallic taste
Diagnosis
Generally, taste disorders need to be analysed with
·
Personal history – habits of smoking, alcohol, tobacco
chewing, depending medicines, etc.
·
Ruling out of smell disorders/olfactory dysfunctions
(since loss of smell occurring due to upper respiratory tract infection can
also mask or alter taste)
·
Blood test to rule out infection, anaemia, malnutrition,
diabetes, high cholestrol, urea, uric acid, etc.
·
CT or MRI scan to rule out sinus or brain involvements
·
Biopsy to rule out cancer or other disorders (necessarily
in mouth ulcers/leukoplakia)
·
Finally, with taste function test – Even though spatial
test can analyse the taste variation, it cannot be tested easily as done for
other special senses (vision or hearing). Also, there is no scale for intensity
or concentration of taste. In addition, complicated design of taste testing
will not provide accurate results.
Complication
·
Disgust for food/life
·
Malnutrition
·
Depression
General treatment
Treatment usually depends upon the
cause and nature of the disease(s). Getting normalcy will be aimed mostly at
removing the exciting or maintaining causes, i.e. by
·
Correcting anaemia, allergies , dental problems, uric
acid diathesis, etc.
·
Treating mouth ulcers, infections (bacterial / viral /
fungal), digestive or acid reflux disorders , etc.
·
Changing or stopping newly added medicines (antibiotics,
anticonvulsants, antidepressants, pain-killers, etc.)
Commonly, if there is no serious illness, physicians will simply prescribe
vitamin supplements and till taste recovers on its own (i.e., without providing
any specific treatment).
Homeopathic approach on taste disorders
In all other system of medicines, the recovery of taste will come in
the end i.e., after stopping the treatment process/medicines. Also, sometimes
they need to leave the taste to come up on its own. Whereas while getting
Homeopathy treatment, patients’ feelings and sensations get improved first.
Well being sensations will always be the first improvement with successful
treatment of Homeopathy . Homeopathy concentrates on each and every aspect of
patient feelings and restores them to normal first (prior to setting right the
disease). It works in all ways to raise immunity. For raising immunity/strengthen
vitality, it enhances good intake of diet (by making the taste good). Thus here
is another example to show Homeopathy is on the right track towards nature.
Some feel the distorted taste without any diseases or sufferings (with
unknown or idiopathic causes) and some other suffers with incurable diseases.
Here too, Homeopathy can succeed in correcting the taste with its
individualisation treatment with characteristic symptoms of patient and disease
with tongue indications and taste characters.
To spice up taste, Homeopathy can work amazingly. There are specific
medicines for specific feelings of taste in Homeopathy, likewise for cravings
and aversions too. They will act at the core of the disease and clear the
tongue problems simultaneously.
For example:
·
Diminished taste – Borax, Carboveg, Cyclamen, Puls,
Veratrum alb,
·
Complete loss of taste – Stramonium
·
Abnormal taste of foods (or water) – sweetish – Cuprum
met, Merc sol, Veratrum Alb, etc.
·
Sweet metallic taste in mouth/tongue – Cocculus, Merc
sol, etc.
·
Salty taste in mouth/tongue – Cyclamen, Iodium, Merc sol,
Nat mur, etc.
·
Sour taste –Calc carb, China, Lycopodium, Nux vom, Rhus
tox, Sulphur, etc.
·
Bitter taste – Borax, Bryonia, Carbo veg, China,
Lachesis, Nat mur, Pulsatilla, Rhus tox,
Stramonium, Sulphur, etc.
·
Soapy taste – Iodium
·
Bloody taste – Bovista & Kreosote
·
Coppery taste – Medorrhinum
·
Taste remains in tongue for a long time after eating –
Hydrastis
·
Taste of rotten eggs – Cuprum met, Merc sol, Pulsatilla
·
Oily/greasy taste in tongue/mouth – Causticum, Rhus tox,
Secale cor
·
Feeling numbness/tingling sensation in tongue – Aconite,
Causticum, Coninum, Gelsemium, Nux vom, Nat mur, Secale cor, etc.
·
Burning tongue – Apis, Ars alb, Arum triphyllum,
Baptisia, Belladonna, Beri Beri vul, Capsicum, Causticum, etc.
·
Sensation of hair in tongue – Kali bich, Alumina, Nat
mur, etc.
·
Frothy saliva in mouth – Stramonium
These Medicines should be taken under the advice and diagnosis of a
qualified Homeopath.
for new hope
Dr. S.
Chidambaranathan, BHMS, MD (Homeo)
Laxmi
Homeo Clinic
24 E.
New Mahalipatti Road
Madurai,
TN 625 001
India
Tel: +91-452-233-8833 | +91-984-319-1011
(Mob)
Fax:
+91-452-233-0196
E-mail:
drcheena@yahoo.com
www.drcheena.com / www.drcheena.inDisclaimer
- The contents of this column are for informational purpose only. The content
is not intended to be a substitute for professional healthcare advice,
diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of healthcare professional for
any health problem or medical condition.)