Health

A loss in smell or taste

Published

5 years ago

November 10, 2020

Our 5 senses let us know what’s going on around us in the world. Imagine if we were to lose two of these vital sense organs. Being unable to smell and taste will be very disruptive to your daily routine and will diminish your quality of life significantly. Without a sense of smell or taste, one may be in danger and not realize it; whether it is inhaling toxic fumes or consuming too much salt or sugar unwittingly. Unfortunately, not many of us are aware that these symptoms can be treated with medical attention.

Loss of taste or smell is a condition which needs a medical consultation. It is important to visit a top ENT surgeon to diagnose the cause behind your symptoms. In Singapore, The ENT Clinic has state of the art facilities with well experienced and qualified ENT doctors who use modern methods for diagnosis and treatment. Once resolved you will find yourself enjoying your favorite foods again and a greater appreciation for having all your senses working in natural order..

Is taste and smell linked?

There is a close connection between your sense of taste and smell. Both taste and smell play a complementary role on how you identify and acknowledge flavour. If you have trouble distinguishing the 5 basic taste sensations of sweet and sour, bitter or saltiness and savoury, it could be that your taste buds as well as the sense of smell is affected. A good example is trying to hold your nose while tasting a lemonade. It should give you a tough time naming the flavour.

How do you identify if you have a taste and smell disorder?

Individuals who have taste disorders could have:

The sense of taste being distorted
Hypogeusia- Partial ability to taste with a reduced taste sensation
A phantom taste sensation of tasting something which isn’t there.
Agesia – a complete loss of taste could also happen rarely

Sweet, sour, bitter and salty tastes cannot be identified with precision.

Disorders in smell include:

Variation in the sense of smell
Loss in the ability to smell
Hyposmia – reduced ability to detect smell
Anosmia – complete lack of smell
Distortion in sense of smell – sweet scents could appear as foul smelling

What are the causes of taste and smell disorders?

In a small percentage of people, loss of taste and smell can be a congenital disorder. However, most of the other causes maybe related to:

Respiratory infections such as sinus infections, allergies or common cold
Hormonal variations
Injury to the head
Nasal polyps
Lack of dental hygiene and dental disorders
Exposure to chemicals
Radiation therapy to the head and neck
Consumption of certain medicines
Illicit drug inhalation
Cigarette smoking
Certain surgeries to the middle ear or third molar extraction
Ageing which makes sense of smell and taste less accurate

Can loss of smell and taste be a concern for health problems?

Yes, a loss of smell and taste can be a concern for bigger health problems. A number of health conditions are related to loss of taste and smell. These include:

Diseases of the nervous system such as Parkinson Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis
Hypertension
Obesity
Diabetes
Brain Cancer
Gland disorders such as Kallmann’s syndrome
Korsakoff’s psychosis
Dental and gum problems
Seizure disorders
Vitamin deficiency and Malnutrition

How are taste and smell disorders diagnosed?

Your ENT doctor will do a complete physical assessment and inquire about your medical history.

There are a few tests done to confirm the status:

Scratch and Sniff test – this test will help your doctor to understand if you are able to name the common odours.
Measuring the lowest intensity of a compound which a person can recognise – this will give an indication of your potential to sense a chemical. Along with measuring intensity, taste comparisons may also be done
Sip, spit and rinse tests – your ENT doctor will place chemicals on different parts of your tongue and you will be asked to identify the tastes.
Examination of the nasal cavity, sinuses and oral cavity through endoscopy or a CT scan

How are taste and smell disorders treated?

The otolaryngologist will recommend treatment based on your age, overall health and physical wellness. In addition you will be checked to see how well you are able to cope with certain procedures and medicines. The doctors at the ENT Clinic Singapore will take your preferences and opinions too, to finally land on a treatment option.

If the taste and smell disorder is due to an underlying medical condition such as sinusitis or a respiratory condition, then treating this condition will help to relieve the symptoms. Adjusting the dosage of medications or changing medications could help in some instances. It may be necessary to undergo certain procedures at times, like with the removal of nasal polyps or a surgery to help overcome any nasal blockages.

Your doctor may also counsel you to change any bad habits such as smoking or consumption of illicit drugs.

Can losing smell and taste cause complications?

Losing these two senses impacts on your quality of life. The dangers lie as you will pay less attention to possible fires, toxic fumes, a gas leak or consumption of spoiled beverages and food. Disorders to taste could affect your nutrition levels leading to malnutrition and vitamin deficiency. This opens doors to a reduced immune system which can aggravate simple health problems.

What if I have lost my sense of taste or smell?

Seek medical advice without delay. This condition will resolve when the underlying medical condition is treated. Quitting smoking or taking drugs can improve your senses.

If there is a permanent loss of taste, you can enjoy better meals by eating warm food and enhancing the taste of food with strong flavors by adding herbs in foods. Making food more visually appealing and mixing food textures can help.

Some health facts to keep in mind about taste and smell disorders:

Losing your ability to taste and smell is the most common taste and smell disorder
A distorted sense of smell can occur where fragrant smells may appear unpleasant
Treatment for above symptoms include treating underlying causes
Taste and smell disorders affect quality of life.
Taste and smell disorders can be treated.

What should I do if I have a taste and smell disorder?

If you are in Singapore, then a preferred choice by many patients is the ENT Clinic Singapore. Before you visit you can jot down the questions you have in mind and once you meet your ENT specialist you can discuss further, including new medicines and treatment options available to you and discuss at length any side effects. Conveniently located in Mt. Elizabeth Novena Hospital and Gleneagles Hospital in Singapore, the practice offers comprehensive otolaryngological care.

Health

The Scientist as Storyteller: How Steven Quay Makes Complex Medicine Relatable

Published

1 month ago

July 23, 2025

Michelle Langton

Scientific discovery often struggles to reach the people it is meant to serve. The distance between research and public understanding can be vast. For most scientists, publishing in peer-reviewed journals is the endpoint. For Dr. Steven Quay, it is only the beginning. His career has been defined not just by what he has discovered, but by how he communicates it.

Scientific trust today faces growing skepticism and misinformation spreads faster than facts, Quay has embraced a rare role. He is both a scientist and a storyteller. His ability to bridge the technical and the human is what makes his voice resonate across disciplines, institutions, and communities.

Writing as a Lens into the Human Side of Science

One of the clearest examples of Quay’s narrative instinct lies in his writing. He has authored three major books, each rooted in a different part of his life and expertise. Together, they show how a medical researcher can also be an accessible public thinker.

In Stay Safe: A Physician’s Guide to Survive Coronavirus, published June 5, 2020, during the first days of the pandemic, Quay offered plainspoken, evidence-based guidance on protecting oneself and one’s family. It was not framed as a political statement or a policy directive. It was personal and grounded in the daily realities people faced. He wrote it not just as a scientist, but as someone who wanted to help others navigate a frightening time with clarity and calm.

His second book, The Origin of the Virus, tackled a more complex and controversial subject: the question of how SARS-CoV-2 emerged. Rather than speculate, Quay walked readers through the scientific evidence with the kind of transparency that is often lacking in public discourse. The tone was methodical, never alarmist. What set the book apart was its balance, engaging to a lay reader, yet rigorous enough to be taken seriously by professionals.

Then there is A Ride Through Northville, a deeply personal departure from the world of virology and oncology. Here, Quay revisits his childhood in Michigan, capturing the streets, friendships, and quiet moments that shaped him long before he entered a lab. The structure of the book mimics the experience of riding a bike through town, evoking memory not as a chronology, but as a sensory journey. For a scientist whose career has involved high-stakes research and global debates, this book offers a rare window into the reflective, grounded person behind the work.

Speaking Clearly Without Speaking Down

Quay’s communication skill is not limited to the written word. He has also become a frequent guest on health-focused podcasts and a speaker at public science forums. His TEDx talk on breast cancer prevention is one of the most viewed videos on the subject, and for good reason. He does not rely on drama or abstract theory. Instead, he explains mammographic density, hormonal risk, and clinical trial design in a way that makes the science both comprehensible and actionable.

In interviews, Quay has a habit of slowing things down. He avoids jargon unless he defines it. He is comfortable saying, “We don’t know yet,” which, in the realm of public science, is a kind of honesty that builds trust. He often discusses Atossa Therapeutics’ trials in plain terms, describing how experimental drugs like (Z)-endoxifen might help certain patients respond better to treatment. He emphasizes that these are ongoing studies, not marketing pitches, which sets him apart from many biotech executives.

Educating the Public Without Oversimplifying

One of the challenges of public-facing science is resisting the urge to oversimplify. Many well-intentioned scientists flatten complexity to fit the constraints of social media or mainstream news. Quay does not follow that path. He explains mechanisms and hypotheses with nuance, trusting that readers and listeners are capable of understanding more than they are often given credit for.

His social media presence reflects the same philosophy. He shares articles and research updates, but rarely with alarm or bravado. When he comments on current medical debates, he tends to lead with evidence rather than opinion. That steady tone has earned him a following that spans across ideological and professional divides.

During the pandemic, this approach stood out. While others chased headlines, Quay focused on distilling evolving guidance into practical advice. He acknowledged the limits of current knowledge, updated his views as new data emerged, and emphasized science as an iterative process. His voice became one that many people turned to not for certainty, but for clarity.

A Scientist’s Responsibility Beyond the Lab

Quay has often said that science does not exist in isolation. It is part of society. That belief informs why he writes, speaks, and engages in public discourse as actively as he does. He sees the scientist’s role not just as a producer of knowledge, but as a custodian of its meaning.

He has testified before the U.S. Congress and advised the State Department, not as a politician but as a physician-scientist committed to accuracy. In each case, his contribution has been grounded in data but shaped by a recognition of the human implications of policy and research.

This is especially evident in his work on breast cancer. By advocating for better screening tools and more personalized treatments, Quay speaks not only to clinicians and investors but to women facing real fears about their health. He explains the science behind mammographic density and hormonal modulation not just with charts, but with stories about what those risks mean in someone’s life.

Storytelling as a Form of Service

What makes Quay’s communication style compelling is that it never feels performative. He is not branding himself or building a media empire. He is doing what he believes scientists should do: make their work useful.

In every form of his storytelling, from the deeply personal to the technically specific, there is a throughline of responsibility. He understands that science touches people’s lives in ways that go far beyond the lab. For him, that means speaking clearly, writing honestly, and never underestimating the audience.