Can Allergies Affect Your Taste Buds

How Similar Are The Symptoms Of Covid

The symptoms are about as comparable as an orange is to a banana. While they are both fruits and have a protective barrier, once you peel their outer layers, the similarities end. A runny or stuffy nose, cough, tiredness, even shortness of breath and a lack of smell/taste can occur in both allergies and COVID-19. But a cough from COVID-19 is typically dry, whereas in allergies, a cough is wet and usually more sneeze-like. A stuffy nose from allergies can cause loss of taste/smell. During allergy season, shortness of breath really only occurs in individuals who suffer from some sort of respiratory condition, such as asthma.

Inflamed Or Bleeding Gums

Menopausal gingivostomatitis is an oral health condition that causes gum inflammation.

Gums may be deep red or noticeably pale, appear dry or shiny, and bleed easily during brushing or flossing. Lesions that resemble canker sores may also be present in the mouth.

Gingivitis is another possible culprit. It usually develops from poor habits around tooth brushing and flossing.

A mild form of gum disease, gingivitis is characterized by irritation, redness, and swelling in the tissue around the base of your teeth. The gums may begin to recede, exposing more of your tooth.

If left untreated, either condition can lead to a gum infection called periodontitis and tooth loss.

Brushing at least twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush, flossing at least once a day, and using a therapeutic mouthwash can help reverse and prevent future gingivostomatitis and gingivitis.

Visiting a dentist at least once a year, if possible, to get a professional cleaning can also help.

Taking care of your teeth and gums is the best way to prevent future discomfort.

You can do this by:

• brushing at least twice a day, especially after eating, with a soft-bristled toothbrush
• flossing at least once a day
• rinsing your mouth as directed with a medicated wash targeting your needs
• replacing your toothbrush or brush head at least once every 3 to 4 months
• disinfecting partials, retainers, dentures, and other dental instruments on a routine basis

Medication Side Effects Compromise Smell Taste

The various medications used to treat allergies often have a significant list of undesirable side effects. This is one of the reasons that allergen avoidance should be practiced to the fullest extent possible by utilizing all the tools available for environmental control of allergens.

Corticosteroids are one category of medications used to treat inflammation by blocking allergic reactions. They come in many ingestible forms, including pills, liquids, nasal sprays, inhalants, eye drops, and skin creams. While each type poses unique side effect risks, nasal and inhaled corticosteroids are more likely to affect the taste

Nasal corticosteroids include the medications Flonase and Nasonex, among others. These may cause an unpleasant smell or taste and nasal irritation, which obviously would affect the ability to taste. Inhaled corticosteroids, used to relieve allergic asthma, include Azmacort, Aerobid, and Flovent, and may lead to infection in the mouth, though this side effect is rare.

Nasal antihistamines and decongestants can also cause smell/taste issues. Side effects of nasal spray antihistamines, which block inflammation-causing histamine during the allergic response, include a bitter taste, dry mouth, and nasal burning nasal decongestants, if used for more than about a week, can lead to severe rebound congestion once the medication is discontinued.

Recommended Reading: Can You Have Almond Extract With A Nut Allergy

What Symptoms Indicate Covid

The symptoms of seasonal allergies, such as sneezing and itchy nose, eyes, mouth, and inner ear, are rarely experienced by someone afflicted with COVID-19. Likewise, there are COVID-19 symptoms that are almost never seen in someone dealing with allergies: fever/chills, muscle aches, nausea/vomitng, and diarrhea. Another easy way to determine whether youre experiencing allergies is to see how quickly your body responds to treatments like over-the-counter and prescription antihistimines or decongestants. If your condition improves fairly quickly, then it may be safe to assume that your body was having an allergic reaction.

Can A Sinus Infection Cause Loss Of Taste

Sinus infections can make you miserable: they are painful, inconvenient, and can be tricky to treat, but can a sinus infection cause loss of taste? It can start to seem a bit cruel when, after long days of fighting off cold and flu-like symptoms, you are still unable to taste the chicken noodle soup that was meant to be the highlight of a miserable day on the couch leaving you to wonder whether your loss of sense and smell is just another pesky symptom.

The inability to enjoy the things we love can make a difficult time nearly intolerable. Want to know when and how you can get back to tasting your favorite foods? You are in the right place.

Also Check: Do Bee Sting Allergies Run In Families

Visit A Pediatric Dentist In Columbus Ohio

Having inflamed taste buds can be painful and irritating, especially for children. At Little Smiles of Delaware, our team of professionals is committed to providing high-quality dental care for your child in a welcoming and comfortable environment.

Have questions about your childs oral health? right away!

Posted on Mar 28, 2022Image Credit:

But Could It Be Early Or Mild Symptoms Of Covid

Estimates have shown that those with mild illness can make up over 80% of cases. Not everyone with COVID-19 will get very sick. And some people who have tested positive have experienced symptoms as mild as that of a cold, or no symptoms at all. If you have reason to believe you may have contracted the disease, being tested will help reduce your chances of spreading it to others.

The classic symptoms of COVID-19 include persistent fever, dry cough, as well as fatigue, muscle aches and others. Most people will get better on their own, though its important to monitor your symptoms and get in touch with your doctor if you feel like youre getting worse. The most important thing you can do is to wear a mask and minimize your contact with others in order to reduce your chances of spreading it to others.

Recommended Reading: What Is An Allergy Test Called

Let Us Help You Get Your Senses Back

While most often, loss of smell and taste is a temporary inconvenience, there may be underlying issues that require medical attention. Our ENT specialists at Advanced Allergy & ENT will work with you to discover your underlying issues and help offer a treatment plan that will get you back to smelling and tasting like normal!

Fighting Back Against Allergies Together

If youre experiencing dry mouth, whether as a side-effect of seasonal allergies or for any other reason, dont hesitate to come see us! Your oral health is our top priority, and together we can come up with a plan to keep your mouth healthy until the allergies end and beyond!

Thank you for putting your trust in our practice!

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

You May Like: Can You Get Allergies From Dust

Similar Symptoms But Important Differences

• Eye problems. Pink eye is a possible symptom of COVID-19, and results in red and burning eyes. The itchy and watery eyes caused by allergies is usually mild and bothersome but not painful.
• Lack of energy and fatigue. While some people may feel run down or lack energy during an acute seasonal allergy attack, they are normally able to continue with their everyday activities. Extreme fatigue, to the point where its difficult to get out of bed or take care of basic needs, is much more serious and associated with COVID-19.
• Cough. Some people experience a mild cough along with congestion, runny nose or sneezing when suffering from allergies. If the cough responds to allergy medications, its almost certainly nothing to worry about. However, a cough thats accompanied with a fever or shortness of breath could be a symptom of COVID-19.
• Loss of taste or smell. Seasonal allergies can sometimes affect your sense of taste or smell, but its usually mild or comes and goes along with other symptoms. A sudden and complete loss of taste or smell, especially without accompanying congestion, sneezing, or runny nose, is a recently recognized symptom of COVID-19.

If you have been affected by seasonal allergies in the past, and your symptoms are similar to what youve experienced before, chances are thats what youre dealing with now. And, if your symptoms respond to over-the-counter remedies or medication prescribed for allergies, you can be fairly certain you dont have COVID-19.

How Can I Get My Taste Back After A Sinus Infection

So how do you get your taste back? Generally, because a loss of taste and smell is tied to the infection itself, you start by getting rid of the sinus infection.

There are many ways to relieve sinus congestion, but keep in mind that not everything works for everyone, and there is no substitute for a medical professionals guidance. Here are some tips on how to get rid of a sinus infection:

• Use a humidifier and take frequent hot showers
• Use a Neti pot or saline spray
• Eat foods with antibacterial properties
• Warm facial compresses can help clear nasal passages
• Ask your pharmacist to recommend OTC medicines

While your sense of taste and smell usually returns to normal after healing, it can be complicated by chronic congestion and there is no way to guarantee its recovery after an infection. The best way to ensure that the integrity of your senses remains intact is to treat the root of the problem: the infections themselves.

Balloon Sinuplasty is a minimally invasive, in-office procedure that can help keep your sense of taste intact. In about 20 minutes, the procedure can restore proper drainage and airflow, significantly lowering your risk for chronic sinus pressure, and therefore infections. Traditional sinus surgery is often invasive and expensive, employing general anesthetics and requiring 3-5 days for recovery. Balloon sinuplasty can keep you out of the operating room at a fraction of the cost.

More Helpful Articles by Kaplan Sinus Relief:

Recommended Reading: Are Allergies Bad In Arizona

Other Allergies Related To Metallic Taste

In addition to food allergies causing metallic taste, specific allergies, including hay fever, are also known to cause metallic taste. Hay fever is an allergy to pollen or dust. Hay fever can leave a metallic taste in your mouth due to inflamed nasal passages that disrupt your ability to taste. Other common symptoms of hay fever include runny nose, fatigue, coughing, and itchy eyes. Hay fever is typically worse between March and September, when the pollen count is higher.

What Can I Do To Ease Allergy Symptoms And Rule Out Covid

Keep the windows closed at home to keep pollen out. Switch to taking allergy meds daily, rather than as-needed, says Dr. Fung. Showering or washing hair daily, and reducing outdoor activities on high pollen-count days can also help. She often recommends that patients with bad allergies wear a mask when gardening or doing housework that kicks up common allergens.

If your symptoms get better, youll know it was likely allergies and that you probably dont need to get tested.

If you still need help deciding, JeffConnect can put you in touch with a Jefferson doctor. Allergists and other Jefferson providers are available through telehealth.

In the allergy clinic, we can perform skin testing to aeroallergens including pollen, mold, pets and dust mites to help you implement appropriate avoidance measures, perform breathing tests and prescribe allergy and asthma medications, says Dr. Ford. Depending on the severity of your asthma or allergies, you may benefit from biologic therapy or allergen immunotherapy.

Read Also: Can Allergies Cause All Over Body Itching

Do Your Best To Avoid Your Triggers

This can be tricky if youre allergic to outdoor allergens like pollen. But, if you can, Dr. Schwartz recommends staying inside with your air conditioner or an air purifier running when pollen counts are high in your area. Need to go out? Wear a face mask, even when youre not going to be around others. This can help filter out irritating particles so you can breathe a bit easier and ideally avoid the onset of symptoms.

How To Tell If Your Loss Of Smell Is Caused By Allergies Or Covid

COVID-19 is still spreading, so its important to consider that your lost sense of smell could be due to a coronavirus infection. But as positive cases decrease across the country and more people become fully vaccinated against the virus, its entirely possible that your loss of smell or taste could be stemming from allergies.

So, how can you tell the difference? First, a loss of smell due to allergies always happens along with nasal congestion, Dr. Schwartz points out. Plus, if allergies are the culprit, the loss of smell will come on gradually, says Kara Wada, M.D., an allergist and immunologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Loss of smell from COVID is pretty sudden, she says.

Related Stories

• Heres Why Allergies Can Make You Tired

Its important to keep your personal history with seasonal allergies in mind, too. If youve struggled with them in the past and develop a loss of smell around the same time as you usually develop allergy symptoms, thats worth considering, Dr. Wada says.

If your loss of smell or taste happens in tandem with other notable coronavirus symptoms, especially a fever, you should be more suspicious that you might have COVID-19, says Richard Watkins, M.D., an infectious disease physician and professor of internal medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University.

Don’t Miss: How Long Do Shellfish Allergy Symptoms Last

Bottom Line What Should We Do If We Have Symptoms Of Allergy Or Something That Might Be Covid

Wear a mask and maintain social distancing precautions. If you have mild symptoms, the most important thing you can do for yourself and others is to stay home until you can get tested. Then, monitor your symptoms. If you have the same symptoms every day, its probably allergies. Youll want to get in touch with a doctor via phone or telehealth if your symptoms get worse, or youre having trouble breathing.

It can be a scary to think about COVID-19, but its important to remember that many people with COVID-19 will have mild disease, though it is still contagious. If you test positive, you can read this useful guide from the CDC for advice on how to keep other members of your family safe, while you monitor your symptoms and wait to get better.

Smoking Drugs And Chemicals

Besides its ability to cause cancer, tobacco smoke can injure or kill the cells that help your brain classify smells and taste. Smoking can also cause your body to make more mucus and lessen your number of taste buds. Cocaine use can have a similar effect on your sensory cells. So can hazardous chemicals like chlorine, paint solvents, and formaldehyde.

Recommended Reading: Can You Take Allergy Medicine With Cold Medicine

The Many Faces Of Sinusitis

Sinusitis can develop for many reasons. For example, congestion in your sinuses is often part and parcel of an upper respiratory infection, such as the cold or flu. As well, allergies can wreak havoc on your sinuses, leading to inflammation that blocks your mucus.

Sinus issues that are chronic, meaning they last three months or more, can be brought about by ongoing problems with allergies or structural issues, like a deviated septum or nasal polyps.

Ways To Prevent A Metallic Taste

Theres often little you can do to prevent a metallic taste in your mouth. If a sinus issue is to blame, the taste distortion should go away once the issue resolves itself. If the taste distortion is caused by a medication, speak to your doctor about alternative options.

Finding ways to mask the metallic taste may help while you wait for it to go away, especially if its caused by chemotherapy, pregnancy, or other long-term treatments or conditions.

Here are some ways you may reduce or temporarily eliminate taste distortion:

• Brush your teeth after meals.
• Experiment with different foods, spices, and seasonings.
• Use nonmetallic dishes, utensils, and cookware.

Don’t Miss: What Is Better For Allergies Humidifier Or Air Purifier

What Causes Loss Of Taste

Many things can cause you to lose your sense of taste. If the salivary glands are damaged or arent producing enough saliva, this can affect taste. Most of the time there are ways to help with the problem.

A new loss of taste is a symptom that can occur with coronavirus infection. You should regain your sense of taste after all other symptoms have gone away, however if it doesnt return, seek medical care as soon as possible.

Medications, like antibiotics and pills to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, can sometimes change how food tastes. Some medicines such as those for high blood pressure, depression, and bladder-control issues can make your mouth dry. Having a dry mouth can cause food to taste funny and also make it hard to swallow. Talk to your doctor if you think a medicine is affecting your sense of taste. There may be different medicines that you can try. Do not stop taking your medicine.

Gum disease, an infection in your mouth, or issues with your dentures can leave a bad taste in your mouth that changes the way food tastes. Brushing your teeth, flossing, and using mouthwash can help prevent these problems. Talk to your dentist if you have a bad taste in your mouth that wont go away.

Alcohol can alter how food tastes. Cutting back or stopping drinking may help. Smoking can also reduce your sense of taste. Quitting may help.