July 17, 2007 In a small study of patients undergoing
tonsillectomy, or removal of the tonsils, none reported an
ongoing dysfunction in their sense of taste following the
procedure, according to a report in the July issue of Archives
of Otolaryngology--Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives
journals. Together with the sense of smell and nerve impulses in
the mouth, "the sense of taste contributes considerably to
flavor perception during eating and drinking and thus plays a
major role in the enjoyment of foods and beverages," according
to background information in the article. The sense of taste
shows little deterioration during aging but can be weakened by
disease or medications. Accidental nerve damage during some
medical procedures, including radiation treatment, middle ear
surgery, dental or oral surgery or tonsillectomy, also can cause
taste dysfunction. Christian A. Mueller, M.D., of the University
of Vienna, Austria, and colleagues asked 65 tonsillectomy
patients (42 females, 23 males; average ag