ABSTRACT
Background: Taste is the perception produced when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with taste receptors located on taste buds in the oral cavity. The five basic taste modalities are sweet, salt, sour, bitter, and umami. Disorders of taste can result from various diseases and use of various drugs. Hyperthyroidism is one among them which affects the taste sensation and threshold. Aim and Objectives: The study was conducted to assess the physiological taste threshold for the five primary taste modalities in hyperthyroid patients and to compare their taste thresholds with that of the normal healthy controls. Materials and Methods: Investigations were carried out in 30 hyperthyroid patients aged between 20 and 50 years and in age, sex, and anthropometrically matched control groups of 30, who were apparently healthy. The statistical analysis was done by student’s t-test. Results: There is no difference in the physiological threshold of the all the basic tastes but salt. A significant (P < 0.05) increase in the taste threshold for salt taste can be seen in hyperthyroid patients compared to that of controls. Conclusion: The threshold for salt taste was altered in hyperthyroidism, which can be detected by proper screening. Taste dysfunction leads to reduced food intake and poor nutrition. Proper treatment and counseling can help them to get back their normal taste threshold along with normal thyroid status.
ABSTRACT
Background:Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a multifactorial, complex disease associated with chronic hyperglycemia, resulting from the interplay of genetic, environmental, and epigenetic factors. T2DM can causes various disabling complications. Diabetic autonomicneuropathy (DAN) is one of the common complications in diabetes. The taste threshold affected by various factors such as age, ethnic backgrounds, drugs, local and systemic diseases, consumption of alcohol, smoking, and tobacco chewing.Method: The presentstudy is undertaken with the objectives to compare the taste dysfunction of four primary sensations in Type 2 DM with autonomic neuropathy and its relation with glycemic control. The 60 patients of T2DM with autonomic neuropathy and 60 healthy controls were taken for the study. Autonomic neuropathy was assessed clinically. Chemical taste test using four solutions of basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter) were done.Results: Taste dysfunction for sweet was significant in T2DM with uncontrolled hyperglycemia. The taste dysfunction in T2DM patients was not related to gender, disease duration, and type of treatment taken. The study found a significant correlation between taste dysfunction, HbA1C level and blood sugar fasting level in T2DM patients. Conclusions: The taste dysfunction was mainly for sweet. Sour and bitter did not show any difference in case groups compared to controls
ABSTRACT
Background: Taste, one of the five special senses, is the sensory impression of various substances on the tongue. There are five basic taste modalities such as sweet, salt, sour, bitter, and umami. The physiological taste threshold of the individual gets altered in hypothyroidism. Aims and Objectives: The present study was undertaken to test and compare the physiological taste threshold for the five primary taste modalities such as umami, salt, sweet, sour, and bitter in hypothyroid patients and the normal healthy controls. Materials and Methods: Thirty hypothyroid patients aged between 20 and 50 years and 30 age, sex, and anthropometrically matched apparently healthy individuals as control were included in the study. The tests for the threshold of all the five primary tastes were performed in both the groups and the results were compared. Results: The taste threshold for the sweet taste modality has been increased significantly (P < 0.05) in hypothyroid patients compared to controls. No difference could be observed in case of other taste modalities. Conclusion: The significant increase in the physiological taste threshold of sweet modality in hypothyroid patients compared to the controls suggests that hypothyroid patients may have a decreased sensitivity for the sweet taste. Thus, the taste dysfunction should be detected in them by proper screening. Timely management/treatment and counseling can help them to get back their normal taste threshold along with attaining the euthyroid status.
ABSTRACT
Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic disease prevalent worldwide with an increasing frequency of occurrence. Diabetes produces a wide array of symptoms throughout the body. It is said that mouth is the mirror of systemic health. The effects of diabetes are most frequently reflected in the oral cavity. Gingivitis and periodontitis are most frequently associated with diabetes. Periodontitis has been reported as sixth complication of diabetes and they both exhibit a bidirectional interrelationship. This article reviews about the oral lesions occurring in diabetes and their pathogenesis. This article also focuses on the interrelationship between diabetes and oral health stressing the need for oral health assessment and treatment as part of preventive medical therapy for diabetes.
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the role of individual dental stent on taste protection in the patients with primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Methods Firstly,dosimetric evaluation of the tongue under the circumstance of 10 pairs of patient wearing dental stent or not was done.Secondly,a total of 61 patients were randomized into two arms:29 were in the trial arm and 32 in the control arm.The patients wore dental stent during radiotherapy in trial group,but not in control group.The endpoint was taste dysfunction before radiotherapy,every week during radiotherapy till the completion of radiotherapy,and followed up six months after radiotherapy.Results The mean dose of tip of tongue,body of tongue,base of tongue for patient with dental stent or not were (394.43±24.01) cGy,(986.35±77.15) cGy,(4 401.16±179.01) cGy and (677.03± 110.05) cGy,(2 418.19±414.18) cGy,(4 878.67±387.45) cGy (P value were 0.031,0.007 and 0.284,respectively) separately.By the completion of the radiotherapy,there were 9 (31.03 ％) patients suffering from a taste dysfunction in the trial group and 25 (78.13 ％) in the control group (P ＜ 0.001).Conclusions Individual dental stent has a potential tendency to relieve the taste impairment by reducing the irradiation dose of tongue.