The British monarch is undergoing treatment for “a form of cancer” – a diagnosis that Buckingham Palace had revealed in a statement earlier this year
King Charles III has revealed that he had lost his sense of taste while undergoing chemotherapy. The British monarch is undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of – a diagnosis that Buckingham Palace had revealed in a statement earlier this year. The King made this statement while visiting the Army Flying Museum in Hampshire. According to news reports, he was having a conversation with British Army veteran Aaron Mapplebeck who is a cancer survivor and Mapplebeck had told him how he, during his own cancer treatment, had lost the sense of taste. Charles told him that he too had had a similar experience.
Loss of taste is one of the less common side effects of chemotherapy, the others being nausea, fatigue, hair loss, diarrhoea/constipation, mouth sores, skin and nail changes, memory problems and low blood count. According to some theories, some chemotherapy drugs can affect taste as they can stay in the spit for longer. Others may reduce the flow of spit in the mouth, causing food to taste different. The therapy has also been known to damage taste bugs thus making patients complain of loss of taste.
Says Mayo Clinic on the topic: “You may find that cancer or cancer treatment has affected your sense of taste. Food may seem to lack flavor or taste too sweet, salty or metallic. Usually these changes are temporary and will improve with time. In the meantime, do what you can to maintain your calorie intake and meet your body’s protein, vitamin and mineral needs. If you normally follow a specific diet, such as one that’s low in sodium or fat or designed for people with diabetes, it may be necessary to loosen those restrictions for a while. You’ll want to allow for more variety so that you can increase your chances of getting adequate nutrition.” However loss of taste does not happen to all patients that undergo chemotherapy. It has even been termed the “surprise side effect of cancer” and is usually associated with stronger drugs or more aggressive treatment.
