Life Care for Cancer Chemotherapy Patients No. 23: Taste Changes

  1. Patients feel inconvenienced by “loss of sense of taste, which makes people have no appetite” “altered sense of taste, which leads to eating only certain specific foods” “taste becomes heavier and heavier because of dulled sense of taste ” etc.  2.Causes 1).Side effects of chemotherapy drugs or radiotherapy Oral cavity or tongue mucosa is affected by the treatment, producing stomatitis (mucosal lesion), which makes the taste bud cells that perceive taste decrease, changes in sensation, etc., and eventually leads to taste changes.  (2), changes in the state of oral hygiene The reduction of saliva and the appearance of the tongue will also lead to changes in taste perception.  It is also very important to keep the inside of the mouth clean and avoid dryness.  3.Life care 1).Please make good use of fresh juice or seasoning.  When your mouth feels salty, bitter or metallic such as soy sauce taste: control salt intake and use fresh juice as much as possible. Use spices such as sesame or spiced orange or vinegar to season the food to make it more delicious.  When you are allergic to sweetness and feel that any food is too sweet: Instead of using white sugar or sweet cooking wine for seasoning, use sour seasonings such as salt, soy sauce, miso soup, vinegar, spices such as orange and lemon. Fresh juice can also be used for many foods.  When the sense of taste is diminished: try sour gazpacho, wasabi mix, sesame mix, ginger mix, curry flavor and other flavor bases, and then add or subtract. The temperature of food should preferably be comparable to body temperature to facilitate eating.  2) Please season according to your family’s taste.  It is easy to become heavier when you feel the taste is light, but sometimes it can make the taste too salty or too sweet. Please use measuring spoons to take seasoning and avoid putting too much salt or sugar.