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Taste and Smell Clinic at Shands at UF is one of only a handful in nation<
by: Andrew Ragsdale
A multidisciplinary team of physicians, dentists, scientists and researchers from three University of Florida colleges has banded together to assess, measure and make treatment recommendations for patients with taste and smell disorders, which frequently remain undiagnosed by primary care physicians due to a relative lack of scientific study in this area. UF faculty at the new Taste and Smell Clinic at Shands at UF, one of only a few such clinics in the United States, also conducts research and numerous clinical trials on issues such as taste “phantoms,” parosmias and burning mouth syndrome. Frank Catalanotto, DMD, UF College of Dentistry professor of community dentistry and behavioral science, says there is a tremendous need in Florida and across the country for this type of clinic. “Many physicians fail to realize how serious and problematic a taste and smell problem can be for a patient,” says Catalanotto, director of the Taste and Smell Clinic. “Smell and taste play an integral role in one’s quality of life, especially for the middle-aged and elderly population. To lose something that is so important -- such as the ability to taste food or wine, or to smell your spouse’s perfume or the aroma of good cooking -- can be debilitating.” Catalanotto stressed that the sense of smell also is important for safety reasons such as being able to detect escaping gases, smoke and rotten or spoiled food. Although the usual complaint heard by Catalanotto and his colleagues is, “I can’t taste and smell my food,” between 80 and 90 percent of all “taste” cases are actually smell-related, often resulting from nasal sinus disease, allergic rhinitis, nasal polyps, viral infection or trauma to the head. If an otolaryngologist can control the underlying nasal sinus disease, Catalanotto said, there is normally a good outcome. However, there is no known treatment for those with loss of smell or taste due to viral infections or head trauma resulting in the detachment of the olfactory bulb nerve fibers from the olfactory mucosa. Catalanotto says the major obstacles in treating patients with smell and taste disorders traditionally have been “nondiagnosis” on the part of general practitioners; lack of scientifically based evaluations; and the use of antiquated medical literature; which Catalanotto said has resulted in “more than a few physicians” prescribing zinc, vitamin B-12 and other anecdotal remedies. The Taste and Smell Clinic team is trying to overcome these problems through thorough patient evaluations, assessment and focused research. “Our team’s multi-faceted expertise means we can better understand the problem than the general practicing community can,” said Catalanotto. “What we are attempting to do is gain a thorough understanding of the patients and their complaints, provide them with scientifically based evaluations and assessments, and send them back to their referring physicians with a set of recommendations. In this way, we hope to develop and standardize treatments that can be used by the practicing community.” An area of research particularly interesting to the team at the taste and smell clinic is “phantom” taste and the phenomenon known as burning mouth syndrome. “This is the only ‘pure taste’ problem discussed in the literature,” Catalanotto said. “And contrary to what many physicians continue to believe, evidence demonstrates burning mouth is caused by damage to the taste system itself. There is no physical reason for the burning sensation.” |
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