Vaper’s Tongue: Its Causes And How To Cure It?

If you’ve been vaping for a while, you probably have experienced a loss of taste at least once.

This doesn’t happen because you’re new to vaping or the juice has lost taste. Instead, it is because of a phenomenon called vaper’s tongue (or vaper’s fatigue). 

Vaper’s tongue can happen to just about any vaper, regardless of experience. Plus, it doesn’t give any warning! Of course, you can still vape even if you experience a vaper’s tongue, but vaping is not enjoyable if you can’t taste the full flavor of your juice.

Thankfully, it is usually a temporary condition, which can last anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks. However, while a vaper’s tongue isn’t typically a severe issue, it can point to a potentially serious underlying health problem in some cases. This is particularly true if you experience a loss of taste in everything, including vape juices, foods, and drinks.  

What causes vaper’s tongue? How can you get rid of it? Are there home remedies, or do you need to see a doctor? Keep reading to know all about vaper's tongue.

Causes of Vaper’s Tongue

There’s a ton of science and psychology behind your sense of taste and smell – both of which determine whether or not you will enjoy your vaping experience. 

But let’s not get into all the nitty-gritty details and hard-to-pronounce terminologies associated with the olfactory, palate, and other organs of the mouth and nose. Instead, let’s keep things simple and learn some of the basic causes of vaper’s tongue.

Olfactory Fatigue 

It might not be evident to many, but it is challenging to tell tastes or flavors apart without your sense of smell. That’s because the sense of smell and taste work hand in hand. In fact, about 80% of what you taste is a result of your sense of smell.

If you vape the same e-liquid for too long, your mouth and nose will eventually get used to the flavor. Olfactory fatigue will soon set in, and you’ll begin to lose taste, even with your favorite e-liquid.

Fortunately, you can take advantage of vape clearance and stock up on various e-liquids without creating a huge dent in your wallet. 

Poor Health

Specific health problems, such as sore throats and the common cold, can hurt your vaping experience. 

Blocked airways are a common occurrence when you are grappling with a cold. In other words, your olfaction or sense of smell has a tougher time distinguishing flavors, and that can affect your taste, too.

Dehydration

Your mouth can’t produce sufficient amounts of saliva if you don’t drink enough water. It gets worse if you vape when you are dehydrated because your tongue can’t maintain its natural moistness. 

A dry mouth and low saliva can result from dehydration. These can make your tongue go numb temporarily and also cause a loss of taste for a while. 

Poor Oral/Dental Hygiene

Mouth ulcers and tooth decay are not the only potential problems you can get if you don’t take your oral hygiene seriously. Besides the possibility of bad teeth and bad breath, bacteria in the mouth can also impact your taste.

Smoking

Dual vaping – smoking and vaping at the same time – doesn’t help. It is not safe for your long-term health, and it can limit your ability to enjoy your e-liquid to the fullest. In addition, cigarettes are notorious for impacting your sense of smell, which can also lead to a vaper’s tongue.  

If you have recently quit smoking or in the process of giving up the habit, it is helpful to let it go completely. It can be tricky, but it is worth the effort. 

How to Prevent Vaper’s Tongue

Benjamin Franklin may have been addressing fire safety when he said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” but the timeless axiom is apt for your health, too!

Here are some recommendations to ensure you continue to enjoy the full taste of your vape juices:

Drink Plenty of Water

You may have heard the suggestion to drink plenty of water countless times, especially regarding staying healthy. However, you shouldn’t disregard or take it lightly because that’s one of the best ways to prevent or avoid a vaper’s tongue.

Besides keeping you hydrated, water also prevents dry mouth and helps you produce adequate amounts of saliva. Therefore, if you vape quite often or daily, you should stay hydrated as much as possible.

Give Up Cigarettes

You already know that smoking is unhealthy because the chemicals in cigarettes can cause mouth cancer, bad breath, poor tasting ability, and other health issues. Completely giving up cigarettes is one of the best ways to prevent a vaper’s tongue. 

Keep in mind that it may take a while for your taste to return if you’ve recently quit smoking. Hence remain resolute in your decision to give up smoking and focus more on vaping. Thankfully, your options are not limited when it comes to vaping. Check out some excellent vape products from Kurevapes.

Cut Down on Alcohol and Caffeine 

Alcoholic beverages and caffeine can lead to dehydration because they are diuretics. In addition, there is a higher chance of experiencing dry mouth when your body does not have enough water. That’s not the best way to avoid a vaper’s tongue. Consider drinking less alcohol and caffeine to reduce dehydration and its adverse side effects.

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene 

Brushing your teeth twice daily is a healthy practice. Go a step further and clean your tongue regularly with a tongue cleaner. 

Gently cleaning your tongue can improve your vaping experience. That’s because it removes the buildup of bacteria on your tongue that can lead to taste bud damage.

Consider using a mouthwash, too. Using mouthwash between vaping can minimize the chance of developing a vaper's tongue, thanks to its cooling after effect.

Remember that mouthwash works better for many people as a preventive measure. However, it may not be an effective home remedy if you already have the vaper’s tongue. 

What to Do if You Experience Vaper’s Tongue

If you are already experiencing vaper’s tongue, you need to take extra steps beyond the preventive measures listed above. 

Here are some simple remedies to help cure a vaper's tongue. Keep in mind that everyone is different, and what works for an individual may not necessarily work for everyone. Bottom line? Try a handful of these remedies to find out which one works best for you.

Inhale the Aroma of Fresh Coffee Beans

Your sense of smell is probably out of whack if you have a vaper's tongue. Fortunately, a simple trick to reset your olfactory ability is to smell fresh coffee beans. 

The exact science behind this doesn’t matter. What’s important is that it works for many vapers. Even professional perfume testers know this trick and use it quite often.

Try Sucking on Lemons

Look for lemons if you can’t find fresh coffee beans. But instead of resetting your sense of smell, sucking on lemons cleanses your palate and makes you regain your sense of taste. 

The sour lemon taste might not be palatable, but it can stimulate your salivary glands to produce more saliva. This is an effective cure for dry mouth and vaper’s tongue.

Mix Up Your E-liquids

Here’s the thing: there are over 15,000 e-juice flavors to choose from! So you definitely don’t want to limit yourself to only one.

It’s okay to have a favorite flavor. But, unfortunately, your taste buds and sense of smell might eventually get tired of vaping only one flavor for too long. 

What’s the solution? Take a break from your favorite flavor and try something else. The best eliquid to try at this point is something with a completely different flavor than what your taste buds are used to. 

Allow Time Between Vaping

Put down your vape for a while if you’re beginning to lose taste. This remedy is the simplest yet arguably the most effective home remedy to cure a vaper’s tongue. However, just because it's simple doesn't mean it's easy.  

Many chain vapers find it difficult to go an entire day without getting a nicotine fix. Yet, excessive vaping can damage your sense of taste and smell. If you can temporarily stop vaping at the onset of a vaper’s tongue, your taste buds will have a rest, and your taste will return in no time. 

Vape Unflavored Juice

If your desire to vape is stronger than your will to put down your pod or mod, consider vaping an unflavored e-liquid. This way, you will get your nicotine fix and, at the same time, give your taste buds a rest. 

When to See a Doctor

The remedies outlined in this guide are usually enough to cure a vaper’s tongue. However, you could be dealing with an underlying health issue if the problem persists beyond two weeks.

In some cases, your body could be reacting to some prescription drugs used in treating colds and allergies, especially if you vape while still on medications. 

In any case, it is best to see your healthcare provider if you still experience a vaper’s tongue for more than two weeks.