ageusia

(noun)

Partial or complete loss of the sense of taste.

Related Terms

Examples of ageusia in the following topics:

  • Taste and Smell at Birth and in Old Age

    • Failure to detect odors (anosmia) is one reason that older individuals often do not enjoy eating since an inability to smell is related to an inability to taste (ageusia).
    • Ageusia is the loss of taste functions of the tongue, particularly the inability to detect sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness, and umami (meaning "pleasant/savory taste").
    • True ageusia is relatively rare compared to hypogeusia (a partial loss of taste) and dysgeusia (a distortion or alteration of taste).
    • Local damage and inflammation that interferes with the taste buds or local nervous system such as that stemming from radiation therapy, glossitis, tobacco use, and denture use (which is associated with old age) also cause ageusia.

  • Amoebic Meningoencephalitis

    • During this stage, occurring approximately 3–7 days post-infection, the typical symptoms are parosmia, rapidly progressing to anosmia (with resultant ageusia) as the nerve cells of the olfactory bulbs are consumed and replaced with necrotic lesions.

  • Overview of Sensation

    • The inability to taste is called ageusia.