Many people are aware of the health risks associated with smoking, but not everyone is aware of how smoking can impact the function of our senses on a daily basis. One of the best examples of this type of impairment of the senses is with our ability to taste. Here is what causes smokers to experience an impaired sense of taste.
The action of taste is actually a combination of the work of the taste buds on the tongue and the olfactory senses of the nose. The nerves that carry stimuli to and from these locations can be impacted by a number of different factors. Essentially, anything that interferes or blunts the ability of the nerves to accurately register various types of stimuli will result in an impaired sense of taste.
When it comes to smoking a cigarette or cigar, the smoker places the taste buds in contact with chemical compounds that tend to blunt the ability of the buds to register the four basic tastes that the system is designed to recognize. The chemicals do not completely destroy the ability of the taste buds to recognize salty, sweet, sour and bitter tastes. However, the degree of recognition is greatly decreased.
At the same time, smokers also inhale and exhale the smoke from cigarettes through the nose and mouth. The chemicals in the cigarettes also dull the ability of the olfactory nerves to register the aromas of foods as well. Because our sense of taste is actually a combination of both taste and smell, smoking tends to lead to an impaired sense of taste by interfering with both forms of sensory recognition.
This loss of taste is usually a gradual process, so the smoker does not realize that he or she is no longer obtaining the same level of enjoyment from food. In fact, the food may still register enough of a sense of taste to be very enjoyable even to someone who has smoked for years. Thus, the smoker is likely to be unaware that an his or her sense of taste has been compromised.
Fortunately, this impaired sense of taste is not permanent. Many people who quit smoking notice that within as little as two days after smoking that last cigarette that the aroma and taste of food becomes much more powerful and distinct. This is because the taste buds and the nerve endings in the nose begin to wake up or regenerate from the depression that was caused by the chemicals in the cigarettes. As time goes on, the impairment of taste is completely reversed, and it is possible once more to enjoy all the flavors and smells associated with favorite dishes.
