If you’ve been vaping for a while then you’re undoubtedly familiar with it. One second you’re enjoying your delicious fruity e-juice when all of a sudden – BAM – nothing. You’ve completely lost your ability to taste your e-juice. This condition is known as vaper’s tongue.
This damn-near universal phenomenon usually only lasts a couple days at the most, although there are some people who can lose their ability to taste e-juice for weeks at a time. The term “vaper’s tongue” has been in common usage in the vaping community for years now due to the fact that so many vapers have experienced the unpleasant sensation of feeling like their tongue has a thick coating that is preventing their ability to taste. This guide will show you the causes of vaper’s tongue and how to fix it.
Why can’t I get any flavor from my vape?
There are a few main reasons why you’re experiencing vaper’s tongue. If you’ve lost the ability to taste your vape, then one of these causes is the likely culprit.
Dry mouth
You have anywhere from 2,000 to 8,000 taste buds in your mouth. Every ten days, your taste buds regenerate themselves. Your gustatory sense (that’s a fancy way of saying “sense of taste”) requires saliva in order to function. If you have a dry mouth (which can be caused by vaping), your mouth won’t have an adequate amount of saliva. When this happens, your ability to taste your e-juice is impaired. Overcoming dehydration is critical if you want to regain your sense of taste.
Flavor fatigue
Your olfactory sense (another fancy term for “sense of smell”) works together with your taste buds to give you the sensation that you perceive as “taste”. Research shows that up to 70% of perceived flavor of anything comes from your sense of smell. It can be hard to believe, but when you’re tasting something that sensation is almost entirely caused by your sense of smell.
Your taste buds can discern the difference between the five main types of flavor: sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and umami. But your ability to distinguish between different flavors within the same type of taste is dependent upon your ability to smell. If you can’t smell, you wouldn’t be able to determine the difference between different foods within the same flavor category.
This is doubly true in the world of vaping. Since vapor doesn’t have any type of texture, the only way you can distinguish between different brands of e-juice is through your sense of taste and smell.
So how does this cause vaper’s tongue?
Over time, your olfactory sense loses it’s ability to perceive a certain aroma the longer it’s been exposed to it. This means that, once you’ve found your favorite all-day-vape, your nose will eventually get used to it which can cause you to stop tasting it all together!
Smoking
It’s well-known that smoking impairs your sense of taste and smell. If you’ve just recently quit, or if you’re a dual user, your ability to taste is going to be impaired. The good news is that the human body is resilient, and if you decide to finally quit smoking for good then your sense of taste and smell will eventually return.
There is no agree-upon timeline for this. It depends on how long and often you smoked as well as your unique body chemistry. Just stick with the program and eventually you’ll regain your ability to taste.
How to get rid of vaper’s tongue
- Clean your tongue
- Quit smoking
- Switch juice flavors
- Take longer breaks between vaping
- Use unflavored e-liquid as a “palate cleanser”
- Drink water
- Drink less caffeine and alcohol
- Eliminate other causes of dry mouth
Clean your tongue
Notice how vaper’s tongue feels like you have a thick coating on top of your tongue that is preventing you from enjoying the flavor? Remember to always brush your tongue whenever you’re brushing your teeth. If you really want to take it to the next level, buy a tongue scraper.
Quit smoking
This one should be self-explanatory. Cigarette smoking absolutely devastates your ability to taste and smell. This is on top of the myriad health problems that smoking causes. Once you give up smoking tobacco for good, your sense of taste and smell will eventually come back. It may take a while, but once you can actually experience the full flavor of your favorite e-juice you’ll be glad you quit.
Switch juice flavors
I know it sucks to switch flavors when you’ve finally found your all-day-vape. But it’s important to note that your olfactory sense can eventually become fatigued and accustomed to a single aroma. Take a break from your favorite juice and try something different. This will help you fight so-called flavor fatigue. When you come back to your ADV, you’ll be able to experience the full flavor like you did on day one.
Take longer breaks between vaping
If you’re vaping all day every day, you’ll eventually wear out your taste buds. Chain vaping is a major cause of vaper’s tongue. If you’re finding it difficult to take longer breaks in between vaping sessions, try switching to a higher nicotine e-juice. Since you’re getting more nicotine with each puff, you won’t be as tempted to keep reaching for your vape all day long. This will give your sense of taste some time to recuperate.
Use unflavored e-liquid as a palate cleanser
Buy some unflavored base liquid (commonly used by DIY e-juice makers). If you vape it straight without adding any extra flavor, you’re still getting the effects of vaping but without wearing out your taste buds. This is a great way to refresh your palate. When you go back to full-flavored juice, you’ll experience it like never before. An added bonus? Unflavored base liquid is significantly cheaper than whatever brand of e-juice you’re currently vaping.
Drink water
It might sound like basic advice, but it’s important to remember that dry mouth is a major cause of vaper’s tongue. Your body needs to stay hydrated to function properly. This applies to your sense of taste as well. If you’re a vaper, you need to be drinking a lot more water than the average person. This simple solution can help you unlock the full flavor from your e-juice.
Drink less caffeine and alcohol
Alcohol and caffeine are both considered diuretics. This means that they cause you to become dehydrated. Since a dry mouth is one of the main reasons why you aren’t tasting your vape, it’s important to limit your intake of substances that are just going to dry you out even more.
Eliminate other causes of dry mouth
Most Americans are taking some type of prescription drug. One of the most common side effects of these drugs is that they cause a dry mouth. Many of the most common anti-depressants as well as drugs designed to treat anxiety, colds, allergies, and more all can cause dry mouth.
If you think that this is what is causing you to experience vaper’s tongue, it may be worth it to talk to your doctor and find out if there is an alternative that won’t dehydrate you.
Conclusion
If you’re experiencing vaper’s tongue, you aren’t alone. Almost anyone who vapes for an extended period of time will experience this unpleasant phenomenon. If you follow the eight steps listed above, you’ll fight your olfactory fatigue and loss of taste. This makes it likely that you’ll overcome your problem and finally be able to enjoy the full flavor of that delicious e-juice.
