Clinical Experiences of the Medication to Taste Disturbance by Serum Trace Deficiency

Abstract

Serum zinc deficiency is known to be a major cause of taste disturbances, but the effects of serum iron deficiency on taste disturbances are not widely known. In the present study, we clinically investigated the relationship between taste disturbances and serum iron deficiency as well as the results of pharmacological therapy. The clinical and serological test results of 25 patients with serum iron deficiency (3 men and 22 women; mean age +/- SD, 56.1 +/- 16.5 years) were reviewed at the Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital of Hyogo College of Medicine. All of the patients had been seen at the hospital between January 1999 and February 2003. Electrogustometry (EGM) and the filter paper disc method (FPD) were used to measure taste function. The patients were treated with iron and zinc supplements. The age distribution of the patients peaked at the ages of 40 and 70 years. The ratio of males to females was 1:7. Based on the EGM results, 70% of the patients exhibited taste disturbances. The FPD results showed that the recognition threshold of sour tastes was slightly higher than that of the other tastes. No significant difference in the results of treatment was seen, regardless of the duration of the deficiency. These results suggest that treatment with iron and zinc medicine is useful for correcting taste disturbances caused by serum deficiencies of trace elements.