Open AccessSense of taste in patients after cochlear implantation-preliminary study
Author(s) -
Henryk Skarżyńśki,
Marcin Wojciechowski,
Magdalena B. Skarżyńska,
Piotr Fronczak
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
african health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.391
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1729-0503
pISSN - 1680-6905
DOI - 10.4314/ahs.v21i4.37
Subject(s) - medicine , dysgeusia , taste , taste disorder , taste bud , audiology , sensation , quality of life (healthcare) , cochlear implantation , cochlear implant , surgery , tongue , food science , adverse effect , pathology , psychology , chemistry , nursing , neuroscience
Background: Taste is the leading sense in how we determine the quality of consumed food. Proper gustatory sensation largely determines the well-being and health of an organism, and this affects their quality of life.Objectives: The aim of the present study was to estimate the risk of early taste disorders following implantation surgery.
Methods: Twenty patients underwent a taste test before, 1 day after, and 1 month after cochlear implantation. The taste sensations of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter were determined.
Results: Statistical analysis showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) between individual tests among the entire study group. After dividing the respondents into smoking (n=6) and non-smoking (n=14) groups, only a weak correlation (p =0.043) was found between the results of the first and second examination in the smoker group. However, a statistically significant decrease in the number of saline-sensitive (p<0.001) and acid-sensitive (p = 0.042) subjects was observed.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that people after a cochlear implant may have transient taste disorders. Taste disorder called dysgeusia may be an early complication after the implantation procedure contributing to deterioration of patients quality of life.
Keywords: Sense of taste; taste disorders; cochlear implant surgery; quality of life, partial deafness treatment.