Smell and taste problems can have a big impact on your life. These 2 senses contribute a lot to your enjoyment of life, your desire to eat, and be social. Because of this, smell and taste disorders can be serious.
1. People are able to sense 4 main types of tastes: sour, sweet, salty, and bitter.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
The taste cells are clustered in the taste buds of the mouth and throat. Many of the small bumps that you can see on your tongue contain taste buds.
2. You are able to recognize a taste through your sense of smell.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
If you hold your nose while eating chocolate, for instance, you will have trouble knowing it is a chocolate flavor, even though you can sense the food's sweetness or bitterness. That's because the familiar flavor of chocolate is sensed largely by odor. So is the well-known flavor of coffee.
3. Taste disorders are more common than smell disorders.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
Smell disorders are more common. A loss of smell is the most common problem. But other problems include misreading or distorting an odor. Smell and taste disorders rarely occur together.
4. All taste and smell disorders are caused by injury or illness.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
Many people do develop smell and taste problems after an injury or illness. But some people are born with them. Upper respiratory infections are blamed for some chemosensory losses. A head injury can also cause smell or taste problems. Changes also occur as you age and as a side effect to certain medicines.
5. Hormones can affect your taste and smell.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
Other causes of taste and smell disorders include polyps in the nasal cavities, sinus infections, and dental problems. Loss of smell and taste also can be caused by exposure to certain chemicals such as insecticides and by some medicines. Radiation therapy for cancers of the head and neck also can cause chemosensory problems. Smoking also causes smell disorders.
6. Most healthcare providers diagnose smell disorders by using a scratch and sniff test.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
The person taking the test scratches pieces of paper treated to release different odors, sniffs them, and tries to identify each odor from a list of choices.
7. Losing your sense of smell or taste can be annoying, but it doesn't pose any risks.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
Problems with smell or taste can leave you without an early warning system that most people take for granted. Smell and taste alert you to fires, poisonous fumes, leaking gas, and spoiled food and beverages. Smell and taste losses can also lead to depression.
8. Losing your sense of smell or taste can be an early warning sign of more serious illness.
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
Chemosensory problems may point to illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, certain viral infections, and malnutrition. They may also point to some degenerative diseases of the nervous system such as Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease, and Korsakoff psychosis.
The tonsils are 2 small masses of tissue at the back of the throat. They are part of the body's immune system, which helps the body fight disease. In some people, the tonsils become infected or enlarged. This can cause severe sore throats, snoring, or other problems. Tonsillectomy is surgery to remove the tonsils.
Parotid duct obstruction is when part of your parotid duct becomes blocked. The parotid duct is a small tube that leads from a gland that makes saliva. The duct sends the saliva into your mouth. When it's blocked, saliva can't flow normally.
