Richmond Leader

• Sinus infections can lead to a loss of taste and smell.

• Losing the ability to taste and smell can cause a decreased quality of life for the patient.

• Treating the sinus infection can restore the patient's sense of taste and smell.

According to Dr. John Ditto of Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers, chronic sinus problems can have negative effects on a patient's overall quality of life.

"I've witnessed that when patients are not suffering from their chronic sinusitis symptoms, their cognitive ability has improved,” Ditto told the Richmond Leader. “You can tell when they come back, when they come in the office, that there's a brightness to their demeanor. Some of them have even told me that they're exercising more. And their well-being is just improved. You can see that when they return to the office."

According to the Taste of Home website, the holidays are a time of celebration with traditional foods, and a YouGov survey found the most popular cuisine includes mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, turkey, bread rolls and stuffing. However, the Houston Ear, Nose, Throat & Allergy website noted that sinus infections could be behind a person's loss of taste and smell. Congestion is a common symptom of a sinus infection, and a stuffy nose impedes the ability of taste by blocking access to the key part of the brain used for that sense.

Mayo Clinic reports that people who do lose their ability to taste and smell often lose their appetite and suffer from poor nutrition, which could result in depression.

People suffering from the loss of taste may use extra salt or sugar to improve the taste of their food, exacerbating issues with diabetes or high blood sugar, according to Mayo Clinic. However, the successful treatment of a sinus infection can restore the patient's senses of taste and smell.

To learn more about the symptoms of sinus infections, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.