The ability to taste comes from tiny molecules released when people chew, drink, or digest food. Ageusia and dysgeusia are two different types of taste disorders. They can have a negative impact on health and quality of life.
The key difference between ageusia and dysgeusia is their impact on taste perception. Ageusia is a condition in which people experience a complete loss of taste, while dysgeusia is a condition in which people perceive tastes as unpleasant.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Ageusia
3. What is Dysgeusia
4. Similarities – Ageusia and Dysgeusia
5. Ageusia vs Dysgeusia in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Ageusia vs Dysgeusia
7. FAQ – Ageusia and Dysgeusia
What is Ageusia?
Ageusia is known as the loss of taste. True ageusia is the complete loss of taste. In this condition, it is difficult to detect tastes like sweet, sour, salty, or bitter. It affects people of all ages. However, it is more common in adults over the age of 50. The symptoms of this condition include the inability to distinguish any taste in food, a decreased desire to eat, high blood pressure, nasal congestion, allergies, and oral health problems. It can be caused by several health issues like COVID-19 infection, sinus infection, common cold, influenza (flu), pharyngitis, strep throat, salivary gland infections, and injuries to the head or throat.
Ageusia can be diagnosed through health history, questionnaires, and physical examination. Furthermore, treatment options for ageusia may include managing the underlying condition through taking antihistamines, decongestants, antibiotics, and improving your lifestyle habits.
What is Dysgeusia?
Dysgeusia is known as an altered taste perception. People with this condition often report that anything they eat tastes metallic, rancid, or bitter. Some common symptoms of this condition include all foods tasting metallic or bitter, foods that are normally sweet or salty no longer tasting sweet or salty, foods that used to taste good now tasting bad or rotten, and the presence of a nasty taste in the mouth despite not having eaten anything. Dysgeusia can be caused by aging, medications like antibiotics, antidepressants, and chemotherapy drugs, dental prostheses, poor oral hygiene, using tobacco, and certain medical conditions.
Dysgeusia can be diagnosed through questionnaires, physical symptoms evaluation, smell identification taste, taste threshold tests, blood tests, and imaging tests like X-ray, CT scan, and MRI. Furthermore, dysgeusia is treated by changing underlying issues like stop medications that trigger dysgeusia and olfactory training therapy.
Similarities Between Ageusia and Dysgeusia
- Ageusia and dysgeusia are two taste disorders.
- Both these affect the quality of life.
- These are more common in aging population.
- Both these can be diagnosed through questionnaires and physical examination.
- They can be treated through specific therapies.
Difference Between Ageusia and Dysgeusia
Definition
- Ageusia is the loss of sense of taste.
- Dysgeusia is an unpleasant perception of taste.
Causes
- Ageusia is caused by Covid 19, common cold, influenza, strep throat, salivary gland infections, gum disease, injuries, obesity, diabetes, smoking, poor nutrition, Sjogren’s syndrome, high blood pressure, dry mouth, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and certain drugs like lithium drugs for cancer treatment.
- Dysgeusia is caused by aging, certain medicines, dental prostheses, poor oral hygiene, using tobacco, and certain medical conditions.
Symptoms
- The symptoms of ageusia include loss of sense of taste, loss of appetite, unintentional weight loss, compromised immune function, and changes in mood and mental state.
- The symptoms of dysgeusia include the foods that enjoy in past no longer taste good, sweet or salty taste no longer taste sweet or salty and metallic or bitter taste.
Diagnosis
- Ageusia is diagnosed by medical or health history, questionnaires, and physical examination.
- Dysgeusia is diagnosed by questionnaires, physical examination, blood tests, and imaging tests.
Treatment
- Ageusia is treated by managing the underlying condition and by improving your lifestyle habits, such as stopping smoking.
- Dysgeusia is treated by changing underlying issues and recommended olfactory training therapy.
The following table summarizes the difference between ageusia and dysgeusia.
Summary – Ageusia vs Dysgeusia
Taste disorders affect the taste of food. They generally result from certain medical conditions, pharmacological or surgical interventions, environmental exposure to certain chemicals, head injury or advanced age. There are three main taste disorders as hypogeusia, ageusia, and dysgeusia. Ageusia results in complete loss of taste while dysgeusia results in an unpleasant perception of the taste. This is the key difference between ageusia and dysgeusia.
FAQ: Ageusia and Dysgeusia
1. What is the difference between ageusia and hypogeusia?
- Ageusia and hypogeusia are two different taste disorders. Ageusia is known as the loss of taste or complete loss of taste (true ageusia), whereas hypogeusia is a diminished sense of taste.
2. What does ageusia mean?
- Ageusia is defined as the total loss of the sense of taste. It is rare and comes from an underlying cause. The causes of ageusia may include infections, injury, nerve damage, and medications.
3. What is the difference between dysgeusia and phantogeusia?
- Dysgeusia, phantogeusia, and parosmia are qualitative changes in olfactory and gustatory function. Dysgeusia is the alteration of taste, phantogeusia is the lingering, unpleasant taste without associated stimulus, while parosmia is the alteration of smell.
4. What drugs cause dysgeusia?
- The drugs that result in alteration of taste or dysgeusia include ACE inhibitors, ARBs, statins like atorvastatin, antibiotics, over-the-counter allergy medications, antidepressant medications and chemotherapy drugs.
5. How does one test for dysgeusia?
- The doctor will first conduct a comprehensive medical history and physical examination. Then, other tests will be performed, including comparing tastes of different chemicals, as well as sip, spit, and rinse tests where chemicals are applied to certain areas of the tongue.
Reference:
1. “Ageusia (Loss of Sense of Taste): Definition, Causes & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic.
2. Heidi Moawad, MD. “Do You Have a Bad Taste in Your Mouth?” Verywell Health.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Selective Focus Photo of Woman in a Black Off Shoulder Dress Sitting at a Table Alone Eating Spaghetti” (CC0) via Pexels
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