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Smell & Taste Disorders Specialist

Bromley Neurology PC

General Neurology located in Audubon, NJ & Linwood, NJ

You probably don’t think much about your ability to taste and smell things. However, if a taste or smell disorder interferes with these senses, it can severely impact your health and wellness. At Bromley Neurology PC in Audubon and Linwood, New Jersey, the team of specialists offers expert diagnosis and customized treatment plans to address smell and taste disorders. Call Bromley Neurology PC today or schedule a consultation online if you notice any changes in your ability to smell or taste.

Smell & Taste Disorders Q & A

What are smell and taste disorders?

Your taste and smell senses are closely related. The gustatory cells on your tongue and the olfactory cells in your nose have the same types of receptors stimulated by molecules released by food, plants, and other things you can taste or smell.

Smell and taste disorders interfere with the receptors and neurological pathways to the part of your brain that registers flavors and fragrances. These disorders can either trigger abnormal tastes and smells or inhibit your senses. 

Common taste disorders

Phantom taste perception is the most common taste disorder. It causes a lingering and typically unpleasant taste even when you don’t have anything in your mouth. Dysgeusia distorts your sense of taste, causing a persistent foul, rancid, or metallic taste.

Hypogeusia lessens your sense of taste, and ageusia occurs when you can’t detect any flavors. However, true taste loss is rare.

Common smell disorders

There are several types of smell disorders, including:

  • Hyposmia: reduced ability to detect odors
  • Anosmia: inability to detect odors
  • Parosmia: distorts fragrances
  • Phantosmia: a sensation of a nonexistent odor

Your senses of taste and smell are critical to your quality of life, and disruptions to these senses can lead to potentially severe health consequences. Lost or abnormal taste and smell can also signal a neurological problem. 

You should make an appointment to talk to a doctor if you notice any changes in these senses. 

What causes smell and taste disorders?

Many conditions can interfere with your senses of taste and smell. For example, your sense of taste can be affected by diseases as benign as an upper respiratory infection as well as more severe issues, including head injuries, ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeries, or radiation and chemotherapy. 

Aging, hormonal disturbances, nasal growths, and upper respiratory infections can disrupt your sense of smell. Additionally, head injuries, exposure to certain chemicals or medicines, and neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer's disease can interfere with your sense of smell. 

How are smell and taste disorders treated?

The specialists at Bromley Neurology PC begin with a comprehensive exam and testing to identify the underlying cause of your taste or smell disorder. Then, they create a customized treatment plan to address your individual needs. 

Your plan could include medications to address the underlying condition. Bromley Neurology PC offers medical infusions as well as oral medicines and nasal sprays. You might also benefit from occupational therapy to adjust the way you prepare food and eat to lessen your symptoms.

Call Bromley Neurology PC today or make an appointment online if you have an absent or distorted sense of taste or smell.