If you experience a taste problem, it is important to remember that you are not alone. More than 200,000 people visit a physician for such a chemosensory problem each year. Many more taste disorders go unreported.

Many people who have taste disorders also notice problems with their sense of smell. If you would like more information about your sense of smell, the fact sheet Smell Disorders may answer some of your questions.

Research program goals for chemosensory sciences include

Promoting the regeneration of sensory and nerve cells.

Appreciating the effects of the environment (such as gasoline fumes, chemicals, and extremes of relative     humidity and temperature) on smell and taste.

Preventing the effects of aging.

Preventing infectious agents and toxins from reaching the brain through the olfactory nerve.

Developing new diagnostic tests.

Understanding associations between chemosensory disorders and altered food intake in aging as well as in     various chronic illnesses.

Improving treatment methods and rehabilitation strategies.