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Does MS affect taste and smell?

Author

David Ramirez

Updated on March 14, 2026

Does MS affect taste and smell?

A number of studies have shown that many people with MS experience changes in how food tastes and smells. A study published in April 2016 in Journal of Neurology, for example, found that people with MS may have a decreased ability to sense all four basic areas of taste: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.

Besides, can MS affect sense of taste?

According to the results, people with MS were significantly affected in their ability to identify tastes, more than previously reported. Their taste identification scores, in fact, were noticeably lower for all tested tastes, and especially with sweet and salty.

Likewise, do people with MS have phantom smells? People with more advanced MS are more likely to experience altered smell. A study of 50 people with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) or secondary progressive MS (SPMS) reported that 40 percent of patients experienced hyposmia, specifically regarding a reduced ability to detect odors (i.e., higher odor threshold).

Just so, does MS give you a funny taste in your mouth?

Sometimes a central nervous system (CNS) disorder can cause you to have a taste distortion or make things taste different than usual. These include conditions like Bell's palsy, multiple sclerosis (MS), and even depression. Talk to your doctor if you have one of these conditions and are noticing a metallic taste.

What causes sudden change in taste and smell?

An infection in your nose, throat, or sinuses. A head injury, which might affect the nerves related to taste and smell. A polyp or a growth that blocks your nasal passage. An abscess in your mouth or other dental problems.

Can MS affect smell?

People with MS can experience a variety of olfactory issues. These issues are divided into three categories: anosmia, or total loss of smell; hyposmia, or reduced sense of smell; and normosmia, or a normal sense of smell.

How do you get checked for MS?

A complete neurological exam and medical history are needed to diagnose MS . There are no specific tests for MS . Instead, a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis often relies on ruling out other conditions that might produce similar signs and symptoms, known as a differential diagnosis.

Can MS cause Phantosmia?

Well, you may well have been experiencing phantosmia. Phantosmia is the name for olfactory hallucination – in other words, when you detect smells that aren't actually there. And it is a symptom sometimes reported by people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Can you lose sense of smell and not taste with Covid?

Can you just lose your sense of taste or smell? It's unlikely to lose the sense of smell without also perceiving a loss or change in taste.

Why do I keep getting a sweet taste?

Disruptions in the body's olfactory system — the system that allows the body to smell — can result in a sweet taste in the mouth. Infection in the sinuses, nose, and throat. Certain bacteria, especially pseudomonas, can cause a sweet taste in the mouth.

What does the metallic taste in my mouth mean?

Why does my mouth taste like metal? A metallic taste can indicate a serious illness, such as kidney or liver problems, undiagnosed diabetes or certain cancers. But these reasons are uncommon and typically accompanied by other symptoms. If you're otherwise healthy, the cause for that metallic tang typically is benign.

Why do I have a horrible taste in my mouth?

The most common reasons for a bad taste in your mouth have to do with dental hygiene. Not flossing and brushing regularly can cause gingivitis, which can cause a bad taste in your mouth. Dental problems, such as infections, abscesses, and even wisdom teeth coming in, can also cause a bad taste.

Why are my taste buds off?

Taste bud changes can occur naturally as we age or may be caused by an underlying medical condition. Viral and bacterial illnesses of the upper respiratory system are a common cause of loss of taste. In addition, many commonly prescribed medications can also lead to a change in the function of the taste buds.

What are symptoms of MS in a woman?

MS symptoms in females include the following.
  • Vision problems. For many people, a vision problem is the first noticeable symptom of MS.
  • Numbness.
  • Fatigue.
  • Bladder problems.
  • Bowel problems.
  • Pain.
  • Cognitive changes.
  • Depression.

Why do I smell burning all the time?

It's also called olfactory hallucination. The smells may always be present, or may come and go. They may be temporary or last for a long time. Smelling smoky or burning smells — including burnt toast — is a common type of phantosmia.

Why do I smell smoke in the evening?

The term for this type of olfactory hallucination is dysosmia. Common causes of dysosmia are head and nose injury, viral damage to the smell system after a bad cold, chronic recurrent sinus infections and allergy, and nasal polyps and tumors. The brain is usually not the source.

Can MS cause Hyperosmia?

Multiple sclerosis is known to affect senses like taste and smell. Loss of smell is most common in these conditions. With the exception of MS, people with these conditions may experience hyperosmia instead. In rare cases, neoplastic growths like polyps or tumors can occur intranasally or intracrannially.

Why am I smelling things that arent there?

An olfactory hallucination (phantosmia) makes you detect smells that aren't really present in your environment. The odors detected in phantosmia vary from person to person and may be foul or pleasant. They can occur in one or both nostrils. The phantom smell may seem to always be present or it may come and go.

Why do I keep smelling horrible smells?

Brief episodes of phantom smells or phantosmia — smelling something that's not there — can be triggered by temporal lobe seizures, epilepsy, or head trauma. Phantosmia is also associated with Alzheimer's and occasionally with the onset of a migraine.

Why do I smell cigarette smoke when there is none?

Unfortunately, some causes of smelling cigarette smoke when nobody is smoking are very serious. “These phantom smells can be caused by damage to the olfactory nerve by chemicals, or infection with a virus or bacteria, or trauma. “A tumor of the brain or the olfactory nerve can also cause phantom smells.

What is smell sensitivity called?

This heightened sense of smell is called hyperosmia. It can happen consistently or during certain periods of time. If it comes and goes, it may be a sign of an underlying medical condition.

Why does all my food taste the same?

Dysgeusia causes a persistent taste in the mouth that can mask other tastes and make all foods taste the same. People with dysgeusia often say that the taste has particular characteristics, describing it as: foul.

What diseases affect the sense of smell?

A smell disorder can be an early sign of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, or multiple sclerosis. It can also be related to other medical conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and malnutrition. If you are experiencing a smell disorder, talk with your doctor.

Why are my taste buds off after Covid?

COVID-19 survivors are now reporting that certain smells seem strange and some foods taste awful. This is known as parosmia, or a temporary disorder that distorts odors and often makes them unpleasant.

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