NIHSeniorHealth.gov Offers Info on Loss of Taste, Smell

The Internet has revolutionized many areas of people's lives, but the senses of smell and taste are not among them. NIH is out to change that.

With nearly one-third of Americans between ages 70 and 80 and two-thirds of those older than 80 reporting problems with their sense of smell and, somewhat less frequently, their sense of taste, NIHSeniorHealth.gov offers accurate, up-to-date information about how the senses of smell and taste work, their importance, how they decline with age or illness, and how to cope with the loss of these senses.

Since taste and smell are closely linked in the brain, many people believe they are losing their sense of taste when they are really losing their sense of smell. Loss of these senses can lead to increased intake of sugar and salt in an attempt to make food taste better, which causes problems for people with heart disease, diabetes, stroke and other illnesses that require a strict diet.

Jointly developed by NIH's National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine, NIHSeniorHealth.gov is senior-friendly, with adjustable type sizes, optional audio, and to-the-point articles on a variety of geriatric health topics, including Alzheimer’s disease, glaucoma and exercise programs, as noted in an earlier AAFP News Now story.