Systemic diseases and disorders.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Sensory Science
• Internal Medicine

Background:

• Smell and taste alterations significantly affect quality of life, safety, and nutrition.
• These senses are influenced by numerous systemic diseases, including infections and chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension.
• While literature exists on chemosensory function in disease, quantitative testing remains limited for many disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current understanding of how a broad spectrum of systemic diseases and disorders influence the senses of taste and smell.
• To highlight the impact of these sensory changes on patient well-being and daily activities.
• To identify gaps in empirical assessment and the need for more quantitative chemosensory research.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing studies assessing taste and smell function in various systemic diseases.
• Compilation of data on the effects of infections (viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic) and autoimmune/collagen diseases.
• Analysis of findings related to conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.

Main Results:

• Systemic diseases broadly impact chemosensory perception, affecting smell and taste abilities.
• Infections and chronic conditions are frequently associated with altered sensory function.
• Quantitative chemosensory data is scarce for many conditions, leading to incongruent findings in the literature.

Conclusions:

• Systemic diseases profoundly influence taste and smell, with significant implications for health and quality of life.
• Further quantitative research is essential to accurately assess and understand chemosensory deficits across a wider range of disorders.
• Standardized chemosensory testing is needed to address inconsistencies and improve clinical understanding.